From the Shadows to the Open
by Flashraven
Summary: A war has been waged between the League of Assassins and the Hand for hundreds of years, but always away in the shadows. Now, the war is about to expand into full out open conflict, with our hero teams in the cities of Starling and New York all caught up in it
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Arrow or Daredevil or any of their characters**

**This is a crossover project between the sole show of the Arrowverse, which sadly will soon no longer be with us, and the Marvel show whose first and second seasons I've recently caught up on and enjoyed hugely, all thanks to being encouraged to check it out. As a result, both universes will be mixed in together, DC and Marvel characters interacting together. My partner with this, and the Flash/Supergirl crossover story I've planned out as well which will be connected with this one's universe, is my new friend and author of the great Devil and the Archer and Devil and the Hood series, as well as some absolutely cracking Flash or Arrow one-shots, Aragorn II Elessar. Thanks so much for the amount of inspiration for this and agreeing to a writing partnership, pal.**

**This will take place during Arrow season 3 and Daredevil season 2. Expect some massive changes, and for the better at that, to the Arrow season. The Daredevil bits won't be much affected.**

**Please enjoy and feel free to favourite and follow, and of course leave reviews saying of what you think of it. But, and I very respectfully ask this of anyone who sees this story and wants to check it out, and it will effectivly count for all the chapters to come and especially for who I will eventually be putting Oliver with; I will not take any nonsense for reviews I consider rude or offending enough to upset me, I am not someone who likes being judged and made upset because people don't like what he's done. So if this story doesn't turn out to be your piece of cake, then please don't review or just read and then move on without saying anything in way of judging.**

**Anyway, that's enough. Without further ado, I give you the first chapter of my new Arrow/Daredevil project, From the Shadows to the Open, and takes place before and in Arrow 3x01. Enjoy**

* * *

_Corto Moltese, night, October 7th_

"Is she ready?" Malcolm Merlyn asked as he strode onto the airstrip where his private jet was waiting.

The uniformed pilot, standing by the four steps leading up to the open door of the plane, nodded. "Fully fuelled and ready as you requested, sir," he asked, with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Malcolm nodded. "Then let's go," and with that, he walked up the steps and disappeared onto the plane, followed closely by the young woman with short brown hair in a red overcoat, her face expressionless, a travel bag in her hand.

* * *

On the edge of the field where the airstrip was, concealed in the shadows, a woman with long black hair, dressed in black jeans and sleeveless vest jacket over a burgundy red shirt, also sleeveless, watched through a pair of high powered binoculars with night vision lenses held in her gloved hands as Merlyn and the young woman entered the plane before the pilot entered and lifted up the steps, closing the door behind them.

She lowered the binoculars and took her phone out of her jeans' pocket, dialled a number and held it to her ear. "Merlyn and his daughter have just boarded his private plane," she spoke.

"_Where're they headed, Ellie_?" a man's voice spoke from the other end.

Elektra Natchios gritted her teeth at the name's use, but controlled herself as the plane's engines started up and a few seconds later it rolled down the strip and into the air, heading off in a north westerly direction.

She returned to her phone, "My guess is, considering the phone calls that Merlyn has made in the last day that I heard on the bugs I planted in his luxury household, they're headed for Starling City." She paused.

"_What is it, Ellie_?" the man said almost immediately.

"It's the way I've seen young Thea respond," Elektra said, "Something doesn't seem right with her. It's like she's not properly herself, like Merlyn's done something to her and she responds without hesitation." Again, she paused, then went on, "I bet it's some sort of drug."

"_So what do you plan to do_?" the man at the other end asked.

"Well whatever reason Merlyn has to travel to Starling City, and considering he's been on the run from the League of Assassins for months, it can't be good," Elektra said in a determined steely voice, "So I'm heading there myself. Hopefully I can alert Mr Queen and his vigilante friends that Merlyn and his sister are in town before whoever Ra's Al Ghul sends after them gets there first also." Without waiting for a reply back, Elektra rang off, pocketed her phone again and headed off the field at a run, returning to her motorbike parked on the road a few metres away. She pulled on her helmet, turned the keys and started the engine, and with a screech of tyres drove off.

* * *

_Nanda Parbat, a few hours later_

The two women, a brunette dressed in black and maroon robes, and a younger blonde dressed in black leather entered the hall with the Lazarus Pit where a buzz cut haired man dressed in long black robes lined with gold stood before it facing away from them, hands held behind his back.

The two women kneeled before him, heads bowed. "You send for us, father," Nyssa Al Ghul, the robed brunette, said.

The robed man turned slowly around, his hands staying as they were. "Yes, daughter," Nyssa's father Ra's Al Ghul, known also as the Demon's Head, spoke. He examined them both calmly, his face giving nothing away, "We have at last managed to acquire a location as to the whereabouts of Al Sa-her."

Nyssa and the blonde looked up, their eyes filled with surprise. For months, Macolm Merlyn, also known by his League name of Al Sa-her, the Magician, had lived up to that name with his annoying capability to continuously elude capture, denying Ra's of his intention to bring the man back to Nanda Parbat to face the League of Assassins' style of justice for his violation of their code of honour by instigating his mad plan to destroy half of Starling City just to avenge his dead wife. It had been the mother of the Arrow, Oliver Queen as everyone in the League knew him as of course, Moira who had contacted Ra's to inform him that Merlyn hadn't been killed by her son in their final battle atop the rooftop of Merlyn Global, but in a way that had just contributed to the matter.

But now, if what Ra's was saying was indeed true, then that really did change things. "Where is Al Sa-her now, father?" Nyssa asked.

"Our trackers have reported him to be in Starling City," Ra's explained, "For what exact purpose he is there on, as of yet we have no idea. That is why I wish to send you and Ta-er Al-Sahfer to Starling to capture him yourselves."

"I will be returning to my home city, my liege?" the blonde in black leather, Sara Lance, the Canary as is what her League name stood for, asked. Ra's could tell, without saying a word, the touch of light in her voice.

"Indeed, Ta-er Al-Sahfer," he acknowledged, "The fact that Starling City is where you are originally from, and that my daughter recently told me that you personally know Al Sa-her, will, I am sure, help with the matter." He paused, looking Sara right in the eyes, "However, I issue this strict condition to you personally."

Nyssa and Sara kept respectfully silent, so Ra's went on, "I will permit you to visit your family should you wish to do so, but understand this: you are to return to us this time. I will not tolerate any further disobedience from you regarding this matter if you again attempt to stay in Starling City without my permission for a second time."

Sara nodded, her face solemn. "I understand, my liege," she said, "I will not attempt to do so, on behalf of the agreement I made to come back in order to help take down Deathstroke." She glanced briefly at Nyssa, and the brunette nodded and smiled.

"Excellent," Ra's nodded, "You will leave for Starling City to continue the hunt for Al Sa-her first thing in the morning."

"Yes, father," Nyssa said.

"Yes, my liege," Sara said. She and Nyssa departed from the room together, leaving Ra's to his thoughts on the matter at hand.

* * *

The two women never noticed the individual concealed in the shadows of the corridor outside the main hall watching them go. But as soon as they turned the corner at the end of the corridor and disappeared from sight, it stepped forward, revealing a man, with dark shoulder length hair, a long jagged scar running down his right cheek starting from below his eye and ending at the corner of his mouth, dressed in League gear but without the mask. He bore the usual League weapons: quiver full of black feathered arrows, PSE-AD Compound bow, and a sheathed scimitar sword.

His mouth twisted into a triumphant smirk. "Thank you, half sister," he sneered to himself, his hard brown eyes filling with glee. He glanced briefly towards the doorway leading into the hall with the Pit, saw that no one had seen him, and then made his way through the corridors of the city and out into the open air.

Once there, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in through his nose. When he opened them again, his eyes were glowing yellow. Without speaking aloud, he chanted a spell in an ancient language from within his mind. A neighing sounded out, and seconds later a magnificent horse, a black racing stallion, bearing a saddle on its back, galloped out of the darkness, trotting up to him.

"Hey, boy," the man said calmly, patting the horse's head with a hand, "We have a little journey to make." He swung himself up into the saddle, gently pulled on the reins to turn the horse around, and then with a shout and a kick of his boot in its side they were away, the horse and its rider galloping gallantly across the plain and away from Nanda Parbat.

* * *

_Honshu, Japan, unknown location, the next day, October 8th_

Nobu Yoshioka, dressed in a dark suit, watched, stone faced, from where he stood on the second step leading up to the temple as warriors of the Hand, clad in their outfits of red and black, faces hidden behind masks, trained in the open courtyard in front of him. Some sword sparred, the clanging of their blades meeting ringing out all around, their wielders expertly dodging and ducking one another's attempted swings. Others performed archery at wooden targets to one side, their arrows thudding into the wood right in the centre, or close to at least, of the red bullseyes.

The lower half of the right side of Nobu's face bore burn marks, the resulting permanent scars of his battle at the pier warehouse with the masked meance, the infamous Devil of Hell's Kitchen, or Daredevil as the American press were now calling him, who had plagued Wilson Fisk's plans for the city like a never ending insect pest who refused to die for motnhs, until, with the co-operation of Wilson's cop mole Hoffman, he had finally toppled it all, resulting in Fisk and all his cohorts in the New York police force, press and city council being apprehended and thrown into the city's jails to rot out their days to come.

As his mind briefly wondered back to that night, Nobu thought about what should have been their final battle- he had inflicted deep wounds on the Devil, deep enough that they had weakened him, enough to kill him from the pain and blood loss. That is until at the last minute, the Devil had managed to outmatch him with the trick that had resulted in Nobu being engulfed by the flames that had inflicted his scars. Nobu should have perished, indeed, he had, but thanks to his resources and place among the ranks of the Hand, his fellow followers in the Japanese branch of the organization had retrieved him and brought him back to their home base, the temple where they were now, where they had revived him from the realm of the dead, scarred but alive.

_The Devil thinks I'm dead, consumed by the fire he set upon me_, Nobu thought to himself,_ But I will show him that death never stays permanent for long. And very soon, he will learn that for himself fully_. Nobu nodded in satisfaction at his thoughts and continued to watch his students train.

An eagle's cry sounded out, followed by three more spaced out at one second intervals, and as the Hand warriors stopped what they were doing and looked up, Nobu doing the same, four magnificent golden eagles swooped down out of the sky, two landing and perching a few feet apart from one another on one side of the fence running around the compound, the other two doing the same on the other. Then came the unmistakable growls of a bear, and then another, and everyone looked to where the source had come from.

A man with long dark hair, a scar running down his cheek, and dressed in the wear worn by the League of Assassins, and flanked, extremely impossible to believe it would have been otherwise, by two great male Japanese black bears stood at the entrance leading into the Hand's compound. Now he walked purposefully forward, the two bears accompanying him, heading straight towards Nobu, the Hand members bowing their heads and clearing out of the way as he did so, the eagles on the fence swivelling their heads to follow.

The man stopped before the steps upon which Nobu stood and then lowered himself down onto one knee, bowing his head. The two bears growled again, but stayed where they were. "_Master Nobu_," the man said in Japanese.

"_Greetings, Shabah Al-Shaytan_," Nobu replied back, "_I assume the reason for your visit upon us today involves some very crucial business_."

Shabah Al-Shaytan, which meant the Ghost Demon in Arabic, looked up, his mouth forming a sly smile. "_Indeed so_," he said, "_At last, thanks to what I heard my master the Demon's Head telling my half sister and her lover Ta-er Al-Sahfer last night, we now have a positive location as to the whereabouts of Al Sa-her_."

Behind him, quiet murmerings sounded out among some of the Hand students, and Nobu himself gave a small hint of his own smile. "_Where_?" he asked.

"_Starling City. The home of the vigilante in green_," the scarred man answered, "_Though as to what purpose he is there on, I couldn't say, as not even my master in the League knows_."

"_It matters not, Shabah Al-Shaytan_," Nobu assured him. Although his expression hadn't changed, if only very slightly, his face was now alight. _My god, we have been blessed with an equal fortune in opportunity_, he thought to himself again.

Throughout the months following his resurrection and the time he had spent recovering from his wounds, Nobu had ensured his followers, as well as those he had successfully established within the Devil's home city itself, continued the Hand's vital search for a new Black Sky to use in their war against their rivals, the Chaste. The fact that the old blind man, the one known only as Stick, and who was himself a Chaste member, had located and killed their last Black Sky candidate annoyed Nobu greatly, certainly it had set them back a great deal, but that wasn't going to put off Nobu in his and the Hand's goals.

And now, thanks to Shabah Al-Shaytan, the news he had just delivered that Al Sa-her, the former member of the Hand's much bigger enemy, the League of Assassins, had at last been found after months of being on the run from his old employers only added even more to the fortunes of Nobu and his people, a golden opportunity in their hundreds of years war with the League and their leader, the Demon's Head, Ra's Al Ghul, to be taken advantage of.

"We shall begin the preparations for a journey to Starling city immediately," Nobu said to the scarred man, now speaking in accented English, "I am sure you would like to accompany us on it, Shabah Al-Shaytan."

The scarred man's smile grew. "As if I wouldn't, master Nobu," he answered almost gleefully, also switching to English, "It helps us greatly that my half sister and her lover are journeying to Starling City themselves under the orders of master Ra's in order to search for him. With who my half sister is, and who Ta-er Al Sah-fer has been trained into also, I would say we couldn't have asked for the best trackers in the world to guide us to him."

Nobu, and beyond him members of the Hand, nodded. "Indeed so," Nobu said, a proper smile now forming on his face, knowing full well what the scarred man meant by those words.

"However, before we head out on our task, I would ask of your permission to allow me to do a little something of my own first, of which the brother of Sarab, Golden Dragon, has a personal connection with," Shabah Al-Shaytan said.

"And what would this 'something' be?" Nobu asked.

"The sister-in-law to Golden Dragon, and the former wife of Sarab, to be precise, master Nobu," the scarred man said, "She is also an old friend of the Arrow's, and is now a member of a certain Order based in Kyushu, of whom she joined shortly after the events in Hong Kong a few years ago."

Nobu nodded, knowing exactly who the scarred man referred to. "You have my permission, Shabah Al-Shaytan," he said. He made a slight gesture with his head, "You will find Golden Dragon in his usual private spot."

* * *

A second Japanese man, maskless, and dressed in a leather outfit of dark red and black, red for his trousers and jacket sleeves, and black for his boots and the main body of his jacket, with black stripes running down the sides of his trouser legs also, the image of a gold coloured dragon breathing out fire displayed on his chest, stood watching silently with folded arms as two Hand warriors, their body figures female, both masked, sparred with their swords before him in the small muddy ground clearing in the forest which surrounded the Hand's compound.

The man's inner senses detected the approaching presense behind him and he stiffened, slowly unfolding his arms. Then he whirled round, at the same time throwing a shruiken. A sword knocked the lethal projectile away in perfect precision timing.

"Greetings, brother Takeo." It was Shabah Al-Shaytan, with two of the golden eagles perched on his shoulders. The other two, and the two black bears, were gone- he had released them from the telepathic spell he had used to summon them to him.

Takeo Yamashiro raised his eyebrows a little. Behind him, the two masked females, having stopped their sparring and turned to see who it was, knelt down onto one knee, placing their swords down on the ground beside them and bowing their heads.

"Hello, _sharik_," Takeo acknowledged, "What has brought you to see me about on this day?"

Shabah Al-Shayton explained to Takeo everything he had just shared with Nobu, including the purpose of his little walk into the woods to seek out Takeo.

"This is just what we have been waiting for, brother," he said at the end of it, "At last, we have the perfectly placed excuse we could ever have asked for in order to begin our co-joined plan." His grin returned once again, "At the end of which will see all of what we both want layed out before us for the taking."

Takeo nodded. "I could not agree with you more, _shaqiq sharik_," he said.

"So on that note, what do you say about paying a little visit to your sister-in-law before we accompany master Nobu to Starling City?" Shabah Al-Shaytan asked.

Takeo nodded. "I think that is a very sound idea indeed, brother," he agreed, now giving his own sly grin. He turned to the two still kneeling head bowed twins. "What do you two say?"

The two masked females both raised their heads in perfect synchronization. "Yes, master Dragon," they both said at the same time as each other.

* * *

(**Now we come to the actual Arrow 3x01 episode. The events in Star City will happen as they did, except absolutely no Olicity date shit happened, and the blondey in glasses won't be entering any sort of romance with Ray Palmer either. The episode's end is where I'm now divulging it and season 3 as a whole from**)

_Star City, night_

"Where are you?" Elektra muttered to herself in a frustrated tone as she stood on the edge of the rooftop, her red shirt collar pulled up over the lower part of her face, scanning the other roofs and the streets below with her binoculars, but again, still no sign of either Merlyn or of Thea Queen.

She had arrived at Starling City Airport earlier that day on the next commercial flight out of Corto Moltese that she managed to catch after leaving the airstrip, and as soon as she had disembarked and passed through the airport, she wasted no time and set out into the city immediately to search for her quarry. But to her total frustration, and as the old stickler Stick had warned her of, Merlyn had lived up fully to the name bestowed upon him by his former employers, the Magician, and she had been unable to locate his or his daughter whereabouts.

She had thought of going straight to Oliver Queen, yes she knew fully well that he was the Starling City vigilante, and his buddies to tell them of what she knew, but after watching them all day, making sure of course she wasn't seen, Elektra had decided to let them concentrate on taking Werner Zylte down, and anyway they didn't know her at all and would probably never believe her about Merlyn or Thea. Besides, she also knew that Oliver had no idea whatsoever that his sister was living in South America with the monster who was her real birth father. No, she would wait until she could deliver concrete proof.

Proof which suddenly alerted Elektra to its presence by jumping down from the rooftop right behind the one that was right in front of her. Upon which the blonde girl in black, the Canary, and who had just placed her mask back on her face, was herself, having just shared some words and a hug with her older sister.

Elektra focused on the new arrival, and stiffened as she saw who it was- Thea Queen, dressed in League of Assassins attire, hood up but without the mask, allowing her still expressionless face to be shown. And she carried a bow in her hand and quiver full of black feathered arrows on her back.

In a flash, Elektra guessed what she was about to do. She lowered her binoculars, anger forming in her eyes. _Oh no you don't_, she thought to herself and bent down to grab the metal pole lying on the ground by her feet. She straightened herself back up and looked again towards the opposite rooftop, seeing very thankfully that nothing had happened. Yet.

Gripping the pole tightly in her gloved hands, Elektra tensed, bracing her body for what she was about to do, and then launched herself forward off the edge of her building, descending towards where the blonde was, hoping and praying that she would arrive in time.

* * *

"Hello, Sara." Sara heard the voice, and turned round. Who she saw standing in front of her froze her to the spot, her jaw dropping open in surprise.

"What're you doing here?" she asked. The young woman in League of Assassins wear with the hood pulled up but lacking a mask didn't respond to the question, but reached back to her quiver, pulling out an arrow, notching it into her bowstring, raising the bow and firing-

But nothing is certain, not even murder, which was exactly what Sara now experienced as someone, a third woman with tied back long black hair, her top lacking sleeves allowing her well muscled arms to be shown, landed right in front of her, expertly batting away the arrow and the other two which followed in quick succession with the metal pole she held in her hands. Before a still completely shocked Sara or the new woman who had just saved her could react any further, Thea sprinted to the edge of the building and leapt off, disappearing down and out of sight.

Elektra stood where she was for a few seconds, breathing heavily, and then lowered her hands and the pole and turned to face Sara.

"Are you alright, Canary?" she asked from underneath her pulled up shirt collar.

"What...how-" Sara stammered, still completely stunned by what had just happened. But then someone slammed into Elektra, propelling her away from Sara with astonishing force, the pole falling out of her hands and dropping down with a clang as she rolled across the rooftop, only stopping when she hit into the raised edge.

"What's this, a Ranger caught off his guard?" another woman's voice asked.

Groaning as she pulled herself onto her knees, Elektra managed to give a sarcastic laugh. "I see you know Arwen's line to Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring, lady," she said as she stood up, "But I'm afraid the 'he' doesn't count for me, as I'm just like you."

Two hands grabbed her vest jacket and she was spun round and thrown roughly back onto the ground. "Be silent," Nyssa Al Ghul snarled as she drew her sword, Sara coming to her side, her right hand holding up her retractable batons in their bo-staff form behind her head, the previous shock on her face now replaced by a hard straight mouthed expression. The two of them positioned themselves in front of Elektra.

"I suggest you start talking, before your blood runs through the gutters of this city," Nyssa said.

* * *

_Kyushu, Japan, same time_

Tatsu Yamashiro, dressed in an outfit of grey and red, white mask with a red dot in the forehead's centre covering her upper face, knelt before the buddha figure on its stand inside the candlelit shrine of the Crescent Order murmering her usual evening prayer, her Katana sword in its pattern decorated sheath placed on the floor in front of her, when her senses alerted her that she was no longer alone.

She opened her eyes and reached out with her right hand, her fingers slowly curling around the grip of her sword. She took a breath through her nose, and then rose, whirling round, at the same time drawing her Katana from its sheath and pointing it, chest height, behind her.

Four figures faced her- a man with long dark hair and a long scar on his cheek dressed in the wear of the League of Assassins, a bow in his hand, scimitar sword on his belt; a second man clad in a red and black leather outfit, a mask covering his face except for his eyes, two swords on his back, the grips showing over his shoulders; and two masked warriors of the Hand, female perhaps judging from their figures, also bearing swords on their backs.

The man in red and black slowly reached up and pulled off his mask off his face with a gloved hand, revealing Takeo Yamashiro underneath. "Hello, sister-in-law," he said to Tatsu.

"Greetings, brother-in-law," Tatsu said calmly, an edge of hardness in her words.

* * *

**And there you have it, and I hope you enjoyed it all. Please take note of the first A/N at the start before you review.**

**I got the inspiration to bring Takeo Yamashiro, who in the DC comics is Maseo Yamashiro's older brother, into use in this project thanks mainly to Bl4ckHunter's use of him in his story The Darhk War. For his face, picture G.I. Joe movie character Storm Shadow actor Lee Byung-hun. Yes, I know Lee is South Korean, but I've pictured him for Takeo for ages. For his suit, also picture the one worn by Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, and G.I Joe: Retaliation, but red and black of course instead of white. More of his background history, which will be both comic based and my own added in bits, and how he ended serving Nobu Yoshioka and the Hand, will be explained as we go along. The words 'sharik' and 'shaqiq' mean brother and partner in Arabic.**

**For our mystery man Shabah Al-Shayton, whose true name, as well as to what his history with Nyssa and Takeo Yamashiro is, I will reveal in time, and who I got the inspiration to use thanks to the Devil and the Archer by my writing partner Aragorn II Elessar, Tom Cruise is his face in this.**

**I had Elektra save Sara in this because 1) for the plans I have for this project, and because in Arrow season 2 I personally like the two women's love bond, even though my pal Aragorn II Elessar pointed out to me very rightfully that it's only possible if the League is around, I want to keep the Nysara/Nyssa and Sara pairing going, and 2) because this is obviously an Arrow/Daredevil crossover, Team Arrow and our Daredevil boy Matt Murdoch will need a good reason to meet and eventually team up, so Elektra's deed in this helps sow the seeds for that. On a small personal note to add, and no matter what others think opposite wise, I love Sara in both Arrow **_**and**_** Legends- Legends of Tomorrow has become my favourite of the four Arrowverse shows, and Sara IMO has been way way better than the hypocrite before her Rip Hunter in leading the team. Again, I ask politely for a non lengthy lecture on my opinions.**

**Tatsu is my second favourite of the Arrowverse women after Sara, I always look for any great looking stories by anyone with her in them, which shows just how much of a obsession for her I've grown, haha. More of why I have brought her in much earlier than 3x10 will become clear in the chapters to come.**

**And finally, I have **_**big**_** plans for Thea which I'm sure no one else has thought of before at all. What they are will soon be made clear.**

**Next chapter will be soon hopefully. So until then, adios from Flashraven.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Arrow or Daredevil or any of their characters**

**So overall, I've very pleased with the response to chapter 1, thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed and favourited it, including new good friend and writing partner Aragorn II Elessar. Knew I wouldn't let you down at all, pal.**

**As you will probably have guessed from where I ended last time, this chapter will pick straight up from the two fight scenes- the Star City rooftop with our three girls Sara, Nyssa and Elektra; and the temple in Japan with Tatsu and her four would-be attackers.**

**So on that note, let's delve into chapter 2, and feel free to review and let me know what you thought overall at the end of it. Warning, it is a bit long, and there'll be some minor horror bits, but enjoy all the same. Also, apologies for being almost three weeks wit it, a little bit of writer's block and real life stuff got in the way**

* * *

"Have you two ever heard of the infamous Devil of Hell's Kitchen?" Elektra asked humouredly as she got back onto her feet again.

"Everyone in the League knows of Shaytan 'Ahmar- the Red Devil," Nyssa answered just as snarkily. Sara smirked. "What's that got to do with it anyway?" Nyssa demanded.

Elektra smirked underneath her pulled up shirt collar as she took up a fighting stance, right leg back, fists held up challengingly. "Let's just say that our teacher, the man who gave him as a kid the skills he now puts to great use on the scum who infest his city, taught me a few moves of my own when I myself was a kid," she said, "Though more killer style."

"Oh yeah?" Sara asked, "Show us what ya got then. This should be interesting."

Elektra and Nyssa both the first moves, Elektra performing a forward roll and kicking Nyssa's swinging sword arm down with her right leg before springing back up fully again and lashing out with her left leg in a side kick which sent Nyssa stumbling back. Elektra ducked a spinning swing from Sara's fixed batons aimed at her head, then started to counter back with a spinning hooking kick from her left leg, but which gave Nyssa the chance to launch a flying side kick into Elektra's chest, sending the other woman off balance and down onto her back.

Having seen the metal pole on the ground close by, Elektra quickly got back on her feet and ran over to it, snatching it up and spinning round just in time to bring it up and block a downwards swing from Nyssa's sword. Elektra stepped to the side and swung the pole into Nyssa's stomach, Nyssa gasping from the blow as Elektra spun and got behind her and hit her with the pole again this time in the back, and then swung it down and up sweeping Nyssa's feet out from under her, sending the brunette to the ground.

Elektra felt a hard blow to her lower back which sent her staggering forward. She started to spin round, but hadn't even reached a quarter of the way before she was hit again this time on the face. Elektra gasped and fell to one knee, her hands falling open and the pole clanging down onto the ground again.

"Very impressive," Sara's voice remarked from behind, she having been the one who had landed the hits on Elektra with her batons separated from their bo-staff form for the purpose, "But not quick enough." And now Nyssa, who had recovered from the blows Elektra had inflicted on her and stood up again, sent a powerful upwards kick into Elektra's chin, sending Elektra down onto her back.

Stunned by Sara and Nyssa's hits, Elektra lay where she was breathing heavily, but then Nyssa bent down and grabbed her by her vest jacket, pulling Elektra roughly up onto her knees, allowing Sara to wrap her batons, once again fixed back into a bo-staff, around Elektra's neck.

"You've got three seconds to tell us who you are, why you're here and why you just saved me from Thea," Sara snarled to Elektra as Nyssa drew an arrow from her quiver, notched it into her bowstring and raised the bow, aiming it at Elektra's head.

"Before you either receive an arrow through the eye, or hear, as the last sound on Earth, my beloved snapping your neck," Nyssa finished it off.

"Need a helping hand there, Ellie?" Nyssa stiffened to full alertness, Sara's head snapped up, as the voice, a man's, spoke from right behind Nyssa. She whirled round and released her arrow, only for it to be caught by a hand.

"Very impressive, daughter of Ra's Al Ghul," the old man Nyssa now faced spoke in a very smug voice, the arrow clattering to the ground as he dropped it there, "But not enough it seems." He was dressed in a military green jacket, trousers and cap, and black combat boots. Nyssa and Sara, the blonde leaning sideways slightly to see over Nyssa's shoulder towards the new arrival, caught a glimpse of short white hair underneath his cap. A black coloured bow was slung over his shoulder, several arrows visible over his shoulder poking out of the quiver which was obviously on his back.

A pair of dark lensed glasses covered his eyes, showing clearly that he was blind, and his mouth was set at all seriousness straight. Without needing to say anything, Nyssa and Sara could tell that this man, though obviously blind, was a real professional, and very well trained and skilled at that, League style even you could say, considering how he had been able to catch Nyssa's arrow with ease.

Recognition passed over Nyssa's face. "Greetings, _Biliand Rayiys_," she addressed the new arrival as she slung her bow over her shoulder, "Or Stick, as you are more commonly known by."

An expression of consideration came over the face of the old man, Stick. "Blind Master. I like it," he said coolly.

"What do you want, old man?" Sara demanded.

"Well for starters, Ta-er al-Sahfer," Stick replied, "I would release your lovely pair of batons from Ellie's neck if I were you. Think she's starting to turn a little red from the grip."

For a few seconds, Sara considered, but then after an over the shoulder look and nod from Nyssa she did so, allowing Elektra to bend over and pull her shirt collar down off her face, her mouth dropping open, the breath escaping from her in great gasps, hand coming up to her throat and gently massaging it, as Sara stepped away from her and returned to stand at Nyssa's side.

"I had it under control, old man," Elektra said harshly as she struggled back to her feet, her breath still wheezy from Sara's grip.

"Didn't look that way, Ellie," Stick remarked, the coolness in his voice not changing in the slightest, "A few seconds later and you would've been shish kabob."

"And you interrupted us before we could acquire the answers we were seeking off of her, old blinder," Sara sneered.

"Oh you don't know me at all, Canary," Stick smirked, "As I'm sure Ellie has probably told you already..." he reached up with a hand and removed his glasses, revealing his misted pale blue eyes, "I trained her and Matty in what she and he can both so proudly do this day." He placed the glasses in his shirt pocket.

Sara and Nyssa's eyes widened a little. "You're the one 'Ellie' said of earlier," Sara said in recognition.

"Murdock," Nyssa added, "Matt Murdock is the Red Devil."

"It's Elektra, Sara," Elektra correctly Sara in a hard voice, Sara turning briefly to follow her as Elektra walked round to stand to one side, "Elektra Natchios. And yes, Nyssa, as the old fool..." she glanced towards Stick, giving him her own angry look, "...has so blatantly revealed, Matthew Murdock, of the Nelson and Murdock law firm, and who is also my old lover, is Daredevil."

Nyssa shook her head, knowing now that the connection between the lawyer who as a young boy had lost his sight thanks to an accident caused chemical spill, and the mystery masked man in black, now of course the red armour clad vigilante Daredevil, who had emerged as the new nightmare for New York's criminal underworld a few months ago made perfect sense, especially as he had been the one who had helped instigate the toppling of Wilson Fisk and his people in the city's top agencies.

Nyssa turned back to Stick. "Miss Natchios certainly displays some fighting talent, _Biliand Rayiys_," she told him, at the same time drawing her sword from its sheath again, "But how well do you think _you_ will able to do against me and my beloved?" She spoke this next sentence with a taunt-like sense of amusement.

"Oh great," Elektra sighed, rolling her eyes, "This'll be fun."

Stick seemed to regard what Nyssa was proposing just as amusing and obligingly willing. That being said, he slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, drew his Katana sword, the long gleaming blade having been worked on till it was sharpened to its most lethalist, to the limit that a whetstone would allow anyway, from his belt.

"You wanna see what an old blind 90 year old man can do, Nyssy?" Stick said, chuckling as he sensed Nyssa's anger at his own pronunciation of her name. He held his sword up in front of him, "Give it your best shot." His head turned slightly towards Sara. "You too, little Canary."

Nyssa swung her sword arm which Stick blocked easily before performing a small hop, sending his right boot into Nyssa's chest, sending her stumbling back. With something like a battle cry, Sara was the next to attack, swinging her bo-staff'ed fixed batons at Stick's head but Stick ducked and avoided it.

"Ellie," Stick called, turning quickly towards Elektra and throwing her his sword to her. Elektra caught it grip first just as Sara began another swing with her batons, but Stick caught them in his hands. Sara pulled hard, trying to free them from Stick's vice-like grip, but Stick pulled her towards him and delivered two sharp heat butts to Sara's head, Sara yelping as he did so. Then Stick released his grip on Sara's batons and jumped up, wrapped his feet around Sara's neck and jerked his body back in a backwards flip, sending Sara up and over him and down with a thud to the ground where she lay winded, her batons clanging down beside her, while Stick landed perfectly and lightly back on his feet, at the same time retrieving his cap from where it had fallen off his head.

An angry Nyssa launched herself forward, her right foot connecting to Stick in a flying side kick. Stick grunted as he staggered back, but recovered instantly. "Your father certainly taught you well from a young age, Nyssy," he remarked.

"Save it for the funeral, old man," Nyssa snarled and recommenced her attack with a swinging hooking kick, but Stick caught her foot in his hands and used Nyssa's own momentum against her, twisting her leg back the opposite way and sending Nyssa off balance and down to the ground.

Stick sensed the coming attack from behind and he ducked and swivelled, avoiding a fresh swing from a now recovered angry Sara, her batons now once again separated.

"Old man," Elektra called out from the side. Stick sensed her throwing his sword towards him and caught it grip first just as Sara came at him again. For the seconds that followed, she and Stick engaged each other, the sound of metal against metal, Sara's batons vs Stick's sword, ringing out as Stick effortlessly fended off all of Sara's attacks until at last he landed a scoring hit similar to what Al-Owal had done, kicking her in the back of her right leg with his left, sending her to her knees, and then delivering an upwards kick with his right, his boot slamming into her chin and jerking her head up. Sara gasped outloud, her batons falling out of her hands, as Stick knelt down on one knee beside her, his blade going to her neck.

"You do not know pain. You do not know fear," he said.

"Saruman the White to his Uruk Hai, the one called Lurtz, just before he sends him and all the rest to seek out the Fellowship," Elektra commented, amused that Stick even knew of the movie line, as she moved a little closer.

"I see you know Lord of the Rings too then," Sara remarked through clenched teeth. Stick would've replied but had to instantly bring his free hand to catch another arrow shot at him by Nyssa, which came Sara the chance to grab the baton that was nearest to her left hand and curve her body backwards as she swung her arm round, the weapon smashing into Stick's face, his head snapping round and giving her enough time to grab her other baton and spring back up onto her feet.

"Nice one, Sara dearey," Stick said as he straightened up again, unaffected by the blow he had just taken, "But still, not enough."

"Alright, let's stop this," Elektra ordered, running forward to stand between him and Sara and Nyssa, "All of us." She glared at the two League women, who were themselves breathing heavily, anger still very much on their faces, eyes blazing, as they and Elektra stared one another down.

"You want to know why me and Stick are here, and why I saved you, Sara, from Thea Queen herself?" Elektra addressed them, folding her arms across her chest.

"Of course," Nyssa said bluntly.

"We're here for exactly the same reason your Demon's Head daddy has obviously sent you and your lovely Lance rose here for too, Nyssy," Stick said as he came forward so that he stood just behind Elektra, at the same re-sheathing his sword. Elektra giggled as she watched Nyssa and Sara resist with the greatest effort to prevent themselves lunging at Stick again, both of them still not greatly amused by his humoured use of words, "Al Sa-her. The Magician. Malcolm Merlyn."

Sara and Nyssa both stiffened. "What business do you and Miss Natchios have with the Magician, Chaste warrior?" Nyssa demanded. The League knew full well, of course, that Stick was a member of the Chaste, its most deadly warrior by far at that.

"We, that is, me and Stick, have been searching for and tracking Merlyn for the same amount of time that Thea departed from here, Starling City, five months ago," Elektra explained, "Shortly after you helped her brother, yes we know full well that Oliver Queen is the Arrow, and his team defeat Slade Wilson, his sidekick Isabel Rochev and their army of Mirakuru enhanced super-soldiers. But it was only recently, a few weeks ago to be more precise, that we were able to get an accurate, and I mean _exactly_ accurate, location on his whereabouts."

"Where?" two voices chorused as one.

"In the delightful little South American criminal hidey hole Corto Moltese," Stick answered.

"Merlyn has a villa there where he currently resides with Thea," Elektra added.

"Of course," Nyssa breathed, Sara turning to her, surprised by her lover's sudden reaction, "I should've remembered from the start."

"What? Nyssa, what is it?" Sara asked, a slight panic rising in her.

"Corto Moltese is where a particular plant called Vitura grows in abundance," Nyssa said, "It's a very nasty drug, used in brainwashing. Whoever is administered with it is made highly susceptible to suggestion, their will bent to whatever the administrator wants them to do without them knowing they're doing it whatsoever, and when it wears off they have no memory of the Vitura's influcence whatsoever." She shook her head, returning the arrow she currently had notched in her bowstring to her quiver and slinging her bow under her arm, and looked at Sara, a look of horror now on her face, "It is one of Al Sa-her's favourite tools. He must've used it on Oliver's sister to make her kill you without her having any knowledge whatsoever afterwards that she'd done so."

Sara gulped, tears coming to her eyes at realizing just what would've potentially become of her if Elektra hadn't jumped down in front of her in time and batted Thea's arrows away with the metal pole. Now, holding her batons, again back in their bo-staff form, in her left hand, she came forward and held out her right to Elektra. "Thank you, Elektra," she said in a grateful voice, "If I had known the facts beforehand, I would not have assisted my love in pointlessly attacking you. For that, I apologize deeply."

"She speaks for the both of us," Nyssa nodded.

At first Elektra didn't respond, her eyes going down to Sara's outstretched hand, and then back to Sara, her dark brown eyes looking right into the blue ones of the blonde Canary. Then she nodded. "Apology accepted," she said, and took Sara's hand.

"You didn't also happen to notice that young Thea's stomach looked a bit larger than usual, Sara deary?" Stick spoke up again, addressing Sara.

Sara's eyes narrowed, she confused at first by Stick's words, but then, slowly, what he meant dawned on her and her eyes now widened, her mouth dropping open, in shock. "No. No no no no no," she breathed, shaking her head, trying hard to tell herself that Stick was wrong, but unsuccessfully doing so, "She can't be. She just can't be."

"I'm afraid that I can only corroborate the old man's story further, Sara," Elektra said sympathetically, "I saw it for myself during the time I was spying on her and Merlyn in Corto Moltese."

"What are you three talking about?" Nyssa asked, anxious to know just what it was that Elektra, Sara and Stick meant by each other's words.

Sara shook her head again and marched past Elektra and Stick, heading away from them and Nyssa. "Beloved, where do you intend on going?" Nyssa called out to her.

Sara turned back round. "We have to tell Oliver," she replied, "I'm sorry, Nyssa, but he can't be kept in the dark about this any longer. He has to know."

Stick nodded. "I'm afraid the little Tweety Bird does have a very good point, Nyssy," he added in agreement to Sara's words, returning his glasses back over his eyes in the brief pause, "After what Ellie has discovered herself, and has done in service to you and your love this night, the Queen kid deserves to know the truth about where his sister has been for the last few months."

"I'm the same," Elektra nodded and agreed herself.

Nyssa stood where she was, silently contemplating what was being said by everyone in front of her, all of her waiting for her response. Then, she nodded. "Let's go," she said simply, and together, the two League women out in front, the four of them headed off, the new location on their minds: the underground base of operations for the Arrow and his friends.

* * *

_Japan, same time_

"I will say," Takeo said, "Joining the Crescent Order, choosing a life of solitude, after what happened in Hong Kong, I'm flattered. Sorry about Akio."

"You don't get to speak or even mention his name," Tatsu spat, her eyes blazing, hands tightening on her Katana's grip, "You became nothing to him, and me and Maseo, years ago."

"I was the one for you from the start," Takeo countered back, his own hatred coming upon his face, "My love for you was greater than my brother's from the moment my eyes first layed upon you, and yet you chose him, the weaker one, over me, the brother who could've given you a life of so much more greatness and betterness than him."

"You even _dare_ to speak those words?" Tatsu snarled, her mouth twisting into a Sylvester Stallone style snarl, "The man who refused point blank to attend our wedding because of a simple choice I made, who became nothing worthy of a brother to Maseo the moment he swore his allegiance to the Yakuza, and then afterwards the Hand, rising up both their ranks, and who never even attended the birth of his own nephew." Tatsu shook her head, "All you ever cared about was your own stubborness, your jealousy, and your sick love of watching innocent people get caught in your hits and assassinations for the Yakuza and Hand, or just your own personal vendetta against me." Tears now formed in Tatsu's eyes, "Your own nieces among them."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, dear Tatsu," Shabah Al-Shaytan said smoothly. Tatsu's eyes went to him while he looked to Takeo, the two men sharing a nod with each other, before Takeo then looked over his shoulder to the two masked Hand warriors. He made a small upwards nod with his head, and together they both reached up with their right hand and slowly pulled off their masks, revealing two Japanese girls aged in their mid or late teens, both of them identical to the other, long black hair and everything, showing without any shadow of a doubt that they were twins.

If Tatsu hadn't controlled her hands, she would've dropped her Katana there and then, so great was the shock she now experienced, her eyes bulging. "Reiko? Yuki?!" she breathed.

"Hello, mother," the two girls chorused impassively, their own faces showing no expression at all. A fact that didn't go unnoticed at all by Tatsu.

"Wha...wha..." she stammered, Takeo and Shabah Al-Shaytan secretly taking great pleasure at her shock.

The League man suddenly stiffened, his body on full alert. "It seems we are no longer alone," he said. As one, he, Takeo and the twins all drew their respected weapons, Takeo and the girls their swords, Shabah Al-Shaytan an arrow which he fitted into his bowstring and raised his bow, just as several other Japanese men and women, other members of the Crescent Order, appeared out of the shadows of the temple and surrounded them, all brandishing Katanas like Tatsu's. All wore long hooded robes, the hoods down for now, varying in colour from dark red, purple, dark blue and white.

An elderly Japanese man, his hair and long beard white, now appeared at Tatsu's right side, he too holding a Katana sword, its grip made of pure elephant's tusk ivory, the blade having been cleaned until it gleamed brilliantly even in the half light of the flaming candles. Unlike his fellow cohorts, his robes were that of a Samurai martial artists, bright red and decorated with gold coloured patterns and figures. On his feet, he wore sandals.

Next came a Japanese boy aged in his late teens with short dark hair, he wearing an outfit like Tatsu's, colours black and red, but with no mask, and holding a sword. He positioned himself on Tatsu's left, the two briefly glancing to each other and sharing a small nod and smile.

"_Greetings, son of Malcolm Merlyn_," the older man said calmly in Japanese to Shabah Al-Shaytan.

The League man raised an eyebrow. "I see you know of my origins, Mr Tamuro," he said.

The boy, Kyle Tamuro, nodded and answered for the old man, his grandfather Musaki Tamuro. "All of us of the Crescent Order know about the man whose mother, the leader of the Hidden, was abandoned and left at the mercy of the leopard spirits in the secret temple of the Ashkiri people by her lover, the man who started off in life as Arthur King, and who would go on to become the one everyone now knows as Malcolm Merlyn," he said in American English with only a slight Japanese accent, his grandfather and the other men and women, barring Tatsu, nodding.

Shabah Al-Shaytan nodded slowly. "Impressive. Very impressive indeed," he said, a dangerous edge coming to his voice with the words.

Musaki's eyes looked to Takeo Yamashiro, the old man's facial expression turning to one of recognition and anger. "You really must have some special kind of nerve to ever show your face around here, Golden Dragon, the Yakuza traitor turned soldier of the Hand," he hissed at Takeo, a fire coming into his eyes.

The same amount of hatred came over Takeo's face, and when he spoke he hissed the words between his clenched teeth. "There is a little something me, my brother partner and my two dear nieces..." he gestured with a head nod towards the twins, Reiko and Yuki Yamashiro, "...seek to settle with my dear sister-in-law-" another small head gesture, this time in Tatsu's direction.

"Before we accompany Master Nobu and our Hand brothers and sisters to Starling City on account of some very important business," Shabah Al-Shaytan continued the explanation, "Business concerning my father."

As one, Musaki and Kyle Tamuro and the other Crescent Order members all moved to position themselves around and in front of Tatsu, their sword blades aimed directly in the direction of Takeo, Shabah Al-Shaytan and the twins. The quartet obliged at their own accord by aiming back with their own weapons.

"I don't think so," Musaki Tamuro said harshly. Nods of agreement followed from grandson Kyle and a few of the other members.

Shabah Al-Shaytan, bow and notched arrow still raised, chuckled. "You seemed to have forgotten the reward I was granted with at the earliest age, Papa Tamuro," he said mockingly, a flash of anger crossing over Kyle Tamuro's face. Suddenly, the League man emitted a loud high pitched noise, a combination of a whistle and the echo location sounding clicks of a bat, from his mouth, then his eyes closed, he made the noise again, and when his eyes opened again, they glowed yellow.

Now a continuous beating and fluttering of wings, how many of the source there were was impossible to distinguish at the minute by its volume, could be heard outside the temple, distant but growing louder and louder with every second.

"The gift bestowed upon me by the grace of the gods," Shabah Al-Shaytan added gleefully. And with that, at the very moment the last word passed over his lips, sweeping in through the open door leading into the temple and from around and behind the pillars supporting the roof, came a great flurry of hundreds if not thousands of bats, their numerous dark bodies and flapping wings filling the air all around.

Taken completely by surprise by what had just happened, Tatsu, Musaki and Kyle Tamuro and the other Order members found themselves totally blinded, unable to distinguish Shabah Al-Shaytan, Takeo Yamashiro and the twins's whereabouts through the multitude which blocked their field of vision everywhere.

Using his telepathic mind commands, Shabah Al-Shaytan parted the bat crowd a little, allowing him to release his arrow into the throat of one of the Crescent Order men, the unfortunate man, half blinded and distracted by the bats which flapped and bit at his face, never seeing the lethal projectile coming and toppling backwards dead onto the floor.

Seeing their comrade fall, Tatsu, Musaki and Kyle Tamuro and the other Order members prepared to charge forward through the melee of bats, but now came the sound of loud angry barks and one of the women members suddenly screamed as something launched itself at her, the force propelling them both backwards and down onto the stone floor of the temple, the woman's sword clanging to the ground as the something tore violently at her throat.

A second Order member, and then a third, and a fourth, yelled as sharp teeth bit into their ankles, and then the whatevers pulled violently, the Order members falling back and crashing down onto the ground, the wind driven out of them. Then the temple echoed with their added screams as their attackers tore at their faces and throats, blood pouring out from the wounds onto the floor.

The thick horde of bats suddenly disipated, allowing for Tatsu, Musaki and Kyle Tamuro and the other Order members to see, expressions of the purest horror coming upon their faces, just what it was that was attacking them- four huge pointed eared dogs, black and tan coloured Doberman Pinschers, one of which now held a piece of an Order member's throat gruesomely in its mouth. And that wasn't the end of it for as the last bats streamed out of the temple, barking and snarling fiercely several more Dobermans came bounding in, launching themselves forward at the Crescent Order members.

As one dog came at her, Tatsu swiped with her sword, a great flower of blood erupting from the cut as the animal's body fell to the ground. Musaki Tamuro and grandson Kyle performed similar moves, getting their attackers before they could reach them and then charging forward towards Shabah Al-Shaytan, Takeo Yamashiro and the twins Reiko and Yuki, the other Crescent Order members not having the chance to do even that, their screams sounding out as the dogs bowled them over and savaged their faces and throats completely unfazed by their victims' vain attempts to hold them off with their hands.

Musaki Tamuro went for Takeo, the older man roaring as he swiped downwards with his sword, Takeo bringing both of his up to block it. Rage spurred Musaki on as he and Takeo now engaged one another in a Jack Sparrow/Hector Barbossa style fight, both of them blocking or dodging one another's attacks and parrying and striking back as they moved around the temple floor, chasing after one another before attacking afresh again and again.

Kyle Tamuro engaged one of the twins, Yuki Yamashiro, the sound of their blades against one another's sounding out for a few seconds before Kyle landed a pushing front kick into Yuki's stomach, forcing the twin back.

Meanwhile Tatsu found herself facing her other daughter Reiko. "What happened to you, _Hikari no tenshi_ (angel of the light)?" she asked her.

"Uncle Takeo. That's what," Reiko said impassively as she swung at Tatsu, Tatsu blocking her daughter's move with her own sword, their blades locking together, "He gave us a way to deal with the pain, the pain we felt when we learned of you and father abandoning us to save Akio from the fire. He gave us purpose in life."

Tatsu shook her head, the tears returning to her eyes. "That is not what happened," she said, her throat clogging with her rising emotion, as they released each other's blades, "Me and Maseo both swore to come back for you." She ducked another swing from Reiko and stepped sideways at the same time, forcing the girl to turn round to face her again.

"She abandoned us," Yuki said with as much impassiveness as her twin as she and Kyle Tamuro clashed blades, "Left us in our house to die."

"Your mother had to think of your little brother first, Yuki," Kyle said to her, ducking a swing before bringing his sword up to block another, Kyle grunting as he pushed back as hard as he could against the twin's blade. "He was only a baby, just as frightened as you and your sister must have been at the time," he went on in a desperate voice. Then he yelled as an arrow, fired by Shabah Al-Shaytan, buried itself in his leg and he fell to one knee, sword falling out of his hand.

"_Mago_," Musaki Tamuro shouted, his attention on engaging Takeo Yamashiro distracted towards his grandson.

"Kyle," Tatsu shouted, her attention also shifting briefly away from Reiko to Kyle.

This gave Takeo and Reiko their separate chances. Takeo, who had just locked blades with Musaki, kicked the older man in the stomach, Musaki staggering back a couple of steps before Takeo added to it with a spinning hooking kick off his right leg, sending Musaki to the ground, the older man gasping as he hit the hard stone floor Then Reiko swung her right leg, sweeping Tatsu's left from underneath her before spinning round and slamming her foot into Tatsu's stomach. Caught off balance by the first move, Tatsu was unable to keep her balance and fell down also onto her back.

"_Sofu_?" Kyle gasped as, with gritted teeth, he pulled the arrow out from his leg. His grandfather looked towards him and nodded, and knowing he was alright Kyle crawled over to Tatsu to check on her.

"And now, say hello to your own deaths," Shabah Al-Shaytan, having been watching everything like a circus audience member enjoying some sort of incredible act, spoke for the first time in several minutes. He sent out a new telepathic command to the Doberman dogs, the savaged bodies of their victims, the other members of the Crescent Order, laying at intervals around the temple floor which was reddening rapidly with great pools of blood spreading out from their wounds. While most of the animals ran out of the temple, disappearing into the night outside, the remaining six barked savagely as they charged towards the downed Tatsu, Musaki and Kyle Tamuro, Takeo and the twins moving aside to stand with Shabah Al-Shaytan as they did so.

Kyle yelled still further as he felt one dog bite into his already wounded leg and then yank violently, dragging the boy away from Tatsu, another dog coming in and grab his left hand in its mouth. Tatsu cried out as one dog grabbed her right wrist in its mouth, teeth sinking into her flesh as it gave several jerks of its head, while another grabbed her left ankle. Musaki Tamuro yelled as two dogs grabbed both his ankles in their mouths.

Kicking out desperately with her free foot at the beast and scrabbling around with her left hand, Tatsu finally found her sword, her fingers closing around the grip, and she swung her arm, the blade entering the neck of the dog attacking her arm and out through the other side. The animal's grip on her wrist slackened and it fell dead to the ground, while its buddy, the one that had latched on to Tatsu's ankle, released its hold there and came for her face, only to meet a similar fate, this time right up and through the bottom and roof of the jaws themselves.

One dog released Musaki's right ankle and moved to go for his face, but Musaki, performing a move done in the 2014 Hercules movie, managed, impossibly, to grab ahold of both its jaws in both hands. Ignoring the pain of the dog's teeth, blood streaming from the cuts newly inflicted into his palms, Musaki grunted through clenched teeth as he fought against the bigger strength of the dog before he scored his intended move, the sound of bones snapping as he jerked the dog's jaws upwards and downwards, the body falling limply to the floor. Then he repeatedly kicked out at the second dog, finally freeing his left foot from it long enough for him to grab his sword, which thankfully hadn't landed too far from him, and swing it downwards, relieving the second dog of its head.

Together, Tatsu and Musaki both, and with some difficulty thanks to the pain in their wrists or ankles from the bite wounds, managed to get back onto their feet, swaying slightly, and then moved, staggered rather, over to help Kyle. Tatsu went for the dog which was savaging the boy's leg, swiping downwards and separating its head from its neck, while Musaki kicked out at the one attacking his grandson's hand, the animal releasing its grip and growling fiercely at Musaki, only to meet the same fate as its buddy.

Musaki and Tatsu knelt down by Kyle's sides. "_Mago_?" Musaki asked with concern, he and Tatsu checking the boy over profusely, inspecting his wounds.

"Thanks," Kyle said, the word coming out as a forced whisper, so great was the pain in his leg and hand.

A few feet away from them, enraged and in disbelief that the three of them had managed to escape death by the dogs, Shabah Al-Shaytan raised his bow, a fresh arrow notched into the bowstring, aim at Musaki Tamuro and fired. Musaki, his attention still fully on grandson Kyle, never saw it coming, and to Kyle and Tatsu's horror, giving a horrible squelching noise as it did so, the arrow protruded through and out of Musaki Tamuro's head. The old man's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open a little, the last two acts of his life, before he fell down onto his back, his head pointing towards them.

"Nooooooooo," Kyle and Tatus screamed, the pain and anguish escaping from them in full force. Both of them crawled over to Musaki's body, Kyle taking him in his arms, pleading quietly and loudly in Japanese, his eyes screwed tight, tears pouring down his cheeks. Tatsu took hold of his hand in both of hers and gripped it tightly, bending over as great sobs overcame her, her mouth hanging open as she wailed, Kyle adding his own as he came to the horrible inevitable conclusion.

"And now it is well and truly farewell time for you, sister-in-law," Takeo Yamshiro's voice spoke. Despite themselves, at his words Tatsu and Kyle turned in his, Shabah Al-Shaytan and the twins Reiko and Yuki's direction.

"I think the more fitting word for it, uncle Takeo, is _saraba_," Yuki Yamashiro said, her voice still as impassive as ever.

Shabah Al-Shaytan and Takeo both chuckled at that. "I think you are right, young Yuki," Shabah Al-Shaytan agreed amusingly. He drew two new arrows from his quiver, fitted them into his bowstring, raised his bow, aimed to somewhere beyond Tatsu and Kyle, and fired. At once, there were two massive booms which shook the whole temple, and a great mushroom of fire spread everywhere, Tatus and Kyle ducking themselves down, hands coming up protectingly over their heads, as the heat washed briefly overhead.

"Let's go," Shabah Al-Shaytan said to his three cohorts. Takeo nodded and together with the twins, who looked blank faced towards their mother one last time, went past Shabah Al-Shaytan, Takeo in the lead, and headed out of the temple, the League man bringing up the rear. As he did so, he fired off two more explosive arrows, one to the left and the other to the right, two more explosions sounding out and more fire blossoming out, as Shabah Al-Shaytan himself now walked casually out the open door.

Tatsu and Kyle watched them go, and then Tatsu reached out and placed her hands on the boy's arms, Kyle looking up at her. "We have to go," she shouted over the roar of the flames that were all around them consuming everything in their paths, including the bodies of both the dead dogs and Crescent Order members, fragments of wood and whatever else that was in the temple flying everywhere.

Kyle looked down at his grandfather's body still cradled in his arms, then back to Tatsu and shook his head. "I can't leave him here," he shouted back, the tears running down his cheeks now coming from the intense heat as well as his grief.

"You know that I promised your grandfather when I first joined the Order I would look after you if anything ever happened to him," Tatsu said, still having to shout, "And your bond to me has grown into something I only had the pleasure of having once with Reiko and Yuki, and then Akio." She now took Kyle's face, looking deep into the boy's eyes, "I can help you avenge him, if that is what you now wish, but I can't do that if you too meet his fate."

For a few seconds, Kyle considered the words of the woman who ever since she had first appeared on the Crescent Order's doorsteps four years ago, wishing for a way to help her deal with the pain of what had just happened in the Chinese city of Hong Kong, had grown into something like a daughter figure to his grandfather, and a sort of surrogate mother to him, Kyle having lost his own real parents several years ago, and then, knowing that she was unarguably right, he nodded. He looked down at the still body of his grandfather one last time and then gently ran his hand down his face, closing the old man's eyes.

"_Rest in peace with the gods, grandfather_," he said, swallowing to contain the emotion that once again rose in his throat threatening to break loose, and gently lay his grandfather down on the ground. He looked back up at Tatsu.

"Let's get of here," he said. Tatsu nodded and helped Kyle to stand, the boy unable to stand properly on his right foot due to the wounds from the dog's bite and Shabah Al-Shaytan's arrow in his leg, and put his arm round her neck, holding onto it supportingly with her right hand, her left arm going round his waist. Together, with the roar of the flames in their ears, sweat pouring down their faces from the heat, Tatsu and Kyle hobbled themselves across the temple floor and managed to reach the open entrance door. Together, they entered the fresh cool air of the night, but they didn't stop until they were a good safe distance away from the burning temple, and only then did they halt and slump down onto the slightly wet mud of the forest floor.

They looked back towards the temple, watching as it burned, smoke trailing into the sky and through the branches of the pine trees. Then Kyle wrapped his arms around Tatsu and leaned against her, fresh sobs overcoming him at the loss of his grandfather. Tatsu graciously obliged by doing the same, her right hand resting on the top of his head, she keeping her own sobs more quieter. Gradually though, they both calmed down and looked to each other.

"Where to now then, Tatsu?" Kyle asked her.

Tatsu thought, and then came to a conclusion, nodding to herself. "First we'll see to our wounds, and then..." she gave Kyle a small smile, "You and I are going on a journey to Starling City."

"Why there?" Kyle asked, confused at first. Then his face brightened up a bit as he worked out just what the reason was. "Oliver Queen," he answered his own question.

Tatsu nodded, pleased that the boy had caught on to what she had been thinking of herself. "Oliver Queen," she confirmed, her smile growing a few more centimetres.

* * *

_Starling City, an hour or so later_

"So, what should we toast to the most, d'you reckon?" Felicity asked as Laurel passed the glasses, filled with a respectable amount of red wine, around. They, Oliver, Dig and Roy were once again down in the lair beneath Verdant. "To our taking down of Mr Zylte aka Big Bad Count number 2," Felicity went, and turned to John, giving him a smile, "Or to the brand new addition to the Diggle family?"

John, having decided to join the team for this brief occasion before heading back to Lyla and his new daughter, nodded with a beam of happiness of his own. He raised his glass. "To that one, I think," he said. The others nodded and they all clinked glasses.

"Have you thought of a name for her yet?" Oliver asked, taking a small sip of wine.

John shook his head. "Funnily enough, we haven't yet," he said, "Guess we've all been so busy running around in suits and masks diminishing the city's crime, and Lyla's had Waller on her back as usual, me and her just haven't had the time to do baby name thinking."

Oliver chuckled. "Well, I'm sure whatever you decide eventually will be just perfect, like she is." Roy, Laurel and Felicity nodded and Oliver and John exchanged smiles.

Oliver now turned to Laurel. "Hey. You seen Sara yourself?" he asked.

Laurel nodded. "She doesn't want dad to know she's in town," she said, "At least, not yet anyway." She gave a reassuring grin, "But she did say soon."

"And how soon will that be, d'you reckon?" Roy asked.

"How's about this soon, Harper laddie?" a man's voice spoke calmly from the shadows at the far end of the bunker where the entrance steps were. Everyone whirled round, John putting his glass and drawing his gun from the back pocket of his trousers.

"Woah woah woah there now, Mr Johnny boy," Stick said coolly as he emerged casually from the shadows until he was in full view of Team Arrow, his glasses once again in his pocket so that the team saw his misted pale blue eyes, "No need for any unpleasantness, is there, not if you don't wanna spoil the nice little celebratory occasion you've got going on down here."

"Oh there'll be plenty of that for you, old blinder, unless you start talking," Oliver said dangerously as he retrieved his bow and notched an arrow into the bowstring, raising and aiming it towards Stick, "Starting with who the hell you are and how you got in here."

"Relax, Oliver Queen," a woman's voice unknown to them now said, and Elektra Natchios showed herself, Oliver's arrow and John's gun following her as she came to Stick's side. She folded her arms across her chest. "We come in peace," she said, "If you will allow it, that is."

"Perhaps," Oliver said, "After some answers are given." And then Sara and Nyssa emerged together, moving around Elektra and Stick to stand in front of them. Felicity, John and Roy stiffened at seeing Nyssa again. Sara smiled and nodded at Oliver.

"Hey, Ollie," she said. Oliver smiled too, and lowered his bow but still kept it ready in his hands. He looked to Nyssa and nodded.

"Nyssa," he acknowledged the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul simply.

"Oliver," Nyssa did the same back, using Oliver's real name instead of 'Mr Queen'.

"Sara," Felicity spoke up, "Who are those two?" She gestured at Elektra and Stick with a movement of her hand.

"The name is Stick, Miss Felicity," Stick answered for her. He nodded sideways to Elektra, "And this here is-"

"Save it, old man," Elektra snapped, "I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself, thank you." Sara and Nyssa respectfully parted to allow Elektra to step between the two of them. "My name is Elektra Natchios, Mr Queen," she said to Oliver. Knowing he was about to ask what she knew he was going to ask, she answered it for him, "And yes, as you've obviously just heard us say, me and Stick know perfectly well who you are."

"And I suppose that counts for the rest of us too, huh?" Roy asked.

Elektra turned to him. "Of course. Roy Harper, Arsenal," she said smoothly. Roy raised an eyebrow, then Elektra went on, now looking to Felicity, "Felicity Smoak, Overwatch." Next came Laurel, "Laurel Lance, District Attorney of the SCPD, and Sara's sister," and lastly John, "John Diggle, former US Army, now serving as bodyguard and team member to Oliver."

The four members of Team Arrow and Oliver all looked between each other, secretly impressed that this strange woman and blind old man, both of whom stood with their dear friend and the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, both knew all about them. Then Oliver and John put their weapons away.

Elektra now looked to Sara. "I think it will be best if you told them yourself, Sara," she said to her. Sara nodded, she and Nyssa pleased with Elektra's decision.

"Tell us what?" Laurel demanded with a growing suspicion.

Sara came forward a little. "Remember when you had to leave after we met on the rooftop just over an hour ago, Laurel?" she asked. Laurel nodded. "Well..." Sara looked down and sighed. Not one person waited, everyone waiting for her to continue. Eventually, Sara looked up again. "Something's happened," she said, and turned to Oliver. "And Ollie..." her voice cracked slightly and she stepped a little closer to him, "It concerns Thea."

* * *

**And there we are, chapter 2 at last. Again, apologies for being so long with it, hopefully I'll be a bit faster next time.**

**Hope I did a good, or at least decent, job with the rooftop fight scenes between our Arrow girls Sara and Nyssa, and Elektra and Stick, considering I had to watch loads of scenes of Arrow season 2 Sara, Daredevil season 2 Elektra and Stick to help with the matter, haha. Nyssa would probably know that Matt Murdock is Daredevil cos after all, we know how good the League of Assassins is with figuring out who someone is beneath their suit and mask. And as we know how resourceful Stick is as a member of the Chaste, I think he would be the same with Oliver and Team Arrow, hence why he and Elektra know about them and their alter egos in this.**

**The little background hints you now know about Takeo Yamashiro I have used from the comics, with my own added in too of course, his current state as a member of the Hand being the most obvious. More will follow in due course. And you also now have another few hints about Shabah Al-Shaytan too. Perhaps they might give you a clue as to just who he might be, I guess I'll allow you to have a little working out game as to who. If anyone does manage to successfully work it out though, please don't reveal it fully in reviews, no spoilers. As I said last chapter, I will have him openly reveal his name eventually.**

**Reiko and Yuki Yamashiro are the twin daughters of Tatsu and Maseo in the comics-, I think Akio was the Arrowverse solution to that in the season 3 flashbacks-, and both were killed when Takeo, who yes is their uncle both in them and here, started a fire in their family house. More background on the twins, what I haven't already revealed that is, especially on how and why they're both members of the Hand, will follow soon. On a little personal note, I've been dying to somehow use the twins in a story for ages, and now I have the perfect chance.**

**The Crescent Order members I brought in are entirely made up, though the boy, Kyle Tamuro, I borrowed from a similar sort of character with that name in an episode of season 6 of my favourite US crime drama show Hawaii Five-0. He and Tatsu will appear again in Star City in a few chapters' time, with a bit more origin on Kyle and their bond being provided along the way. A heads up warning: this isn't the last we've seen of the Crescent Order, cos considering we only heard the name mentioned a few times in Arrow but only ever saw Tatsu, I've plans for the organization to come into use in the future, and just because some members have been killed doesn't necessarily mean that's it, organizations like them, the League of Assassins, the Hand, whatever, always have a lot more to give in terms of member numbers.**

**And so on that note, I will finish off with saying I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and next one, as I say, should hopefully be a lot more faster incoming. Until then, adios amigos, from Flashraven.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Arrow or Daredevil or any of their characters.**

**So once again, thank you to those of you who awaited chapter 2 for the response and reviews, including you of course, Aragorn II Elessar, pal. Cheers for reminding me to spell Matt's surname correctly with a K at the end, which I'm jolly well gonna do so from now on, haha.**

**This chapter will, like last time, pick right up from where the previous chapter ended, and that was when Oliver and co saw Sara and Nyssa again, and met Stick and Elektra for the first time. A note in advance: because Sara, thanks of course to Elektra, is alive and well in this, there is no need for Laurel and Oliver to go on a pointless search-for-her-would-be-murderer mission, so 3x02 is getting skipped over completely and we are delving straight into 3x03. A little shame, cos I like Simon Lacroix/Komodo, but, if there's no need for something then that's that. Small note: some lines from 3x04 have been borrowed for this, and for a reason.**

**So on that note, let's get started. As usual, hope you enjoy and feel free to review and let me know overall what you thought of it**

* * *

"Woah woah woah, no this can't be right. You four must have this all wrong," Felicity blurted out, she and everyone else on Team Arrow having been stunned into shocked silence, the sort that roots you to the spot, over what Sara, Nyssa, Elektra and Stick had all just finished explaining to them.

Oliver nodded. "Malcolm is dead," he insisted, "I stabbed him through the heart with an arrow on the rooftop of Merlyn Global last year. I watched him die."

"Unfortuantely, Oliver lad, you are very much mistaken in that field," Stick said.

"Merlyn was himself a member of the League two decades ago," Nyssa further explained, "I personally greeted him myself as a girl of eight years old when he first came to Nanda Parbat. It was I who first pronounced his League name, Al Sa-her, in Arabic it means the Magician, when he magically pulled a coin out from behind my ear."

"As Al-Owal, the guy you and I fought against when I first came back, Ollie, told you last year, he personally trained Merlyn in all that he can do to this day," Sara added.

Oliver shook his head. "_That's_ where he mysteriously disappeared to shortly after Tommy's mom's funeral," he realized.

Nyssa nodded, "My father Ra's Al Ghul released Merlyn two years after he came to us with the understanding that he would abide by our code of honour."

"Oh, and I suppose he broke this code of honour when he tried to level the Glades with his earthquake machine, huh?" Roy remarked.

Nyssa turned to him. "That is indeed correct what you say, Mr Harper," she confirmed. She turned back to Oliver, "When you killed him atop the roof of his company, we considered the matter settled. But then we received word from a reliable source that Merlyn had faked his demise. She saw him herself."

"She?" John demanded.

"Your mother, Oliver. Moira Queen," Elektra answered before Nyssa or Sara could do so, addressing the words to Oliver.

Oliver ran a hand down his face and begun to pace. No one said anything, all of them waiting for him to respond as he took in everything that was being said and confirmed. Then he looked towards the four new arrivals. "When was this?" he asked in his steel-cold Arrow's voice.

"After her trial," Nyssa answered.

Oliver sighed and looked down, then back up. "I thought her being found innocent of everything- her collaboration with Merlyn, her own part in the Undertaking, all of it- was fishy somehow," he said.

"But then your mother wasn't exactly known for being completely honest, was she, Ollie?" Laurel said gently but with a slight edge of hardness to her voice.

Oliver nodded, looking between her, John, Felicity and Roy, "That must have been what she was going to tell me and Thea the night Slade killed her, and that Malcolm was alive." A look of pain passed briefly over Oliver's face at the memories of that night.

"And you're absolutely sure with what you say that Merlyn is alive?" John said to Sara, Nyssa, Elektra and Stick.

The two League women nodded. "My father reported to me and Ta-er Al-Sahfer last night the news that our scouts had successfully located Merlyn here in Starling City," Nyssa explained, "Hence why we..." she glanced between the other two people standing with her and Sara, "...and Elektra and the Blind Master obviously for the same reason, are all here."

Sara nodded her agreement and came forward, Team Arrow stepping aside as she did so. She stopped in front of the computer table, and brought out a small silver memory stick from her pocket. "I took these earlier today," she said and inserted the memory stick into the computer that was right in front of her. Her fingers briefly tapped at the keyboard, and a few seconds later over a dozen or so photographs of Merlyn came up on the screen, all of them showing him dressed in a suit on some street somewhere in Starling City, some showing him with his mobile phone to his ear.

"Didn't the cops, you know, find his body or something?" Felicity asked timidly.

"Merlyn had resources all over Starling City," Elektra answered, "The coroner's office was almost certainly one of them."

"And now, ever since not just Nyssy and Sara birdy's brothers and sisters in black, but also me, Ellie and my own people, the Chaste, learned that the clever Magician is still very much alive and kicking..." Stick spoke, Sara and Nyssa again struggling to hold back from lashing out at the old man for his humourful use of their names, "We have all been hunting him all over the globe."

"Hunting down every rumor, following every whisper," Nyssa added.

"And now he's on this island in South America, Corto Moltese, right?" Roy asked.

Elektra nodded, "Me and Stick successfully managed to pinpoint Merlyn's exact, and I mean _very_ precise, whereabouts to there only a few weeks ago," she said, "Since then, I have kept him under close observation. I even managed to get into the luxury manor house he currently resides in there and install several listening devices inside the building." Sara and Nyssa turned to her in surprise. Elektra shrugged. "I have just as much useful resources, thanks in large of course to the old man, as you do," she said simply.

"And not only that, but Thea, who left Starling City without any sort of reasonable explanation and lied to us through texts saying she was travelling the world, has actually been living there with him also?" Felicity spoke again. Nods from Elektra and Stick followed. "They then come here to Starling during which time, an hour earlier to be precise, Thea shows up and attempts to kill you, Sara..." she pointed to Sara with a finger, "..only for you, Elektra..." the finger now went to Elektra, "... to jump down in front of Sara and save her from a three-arrows-to-the-chest death?"

Nods followed. "I wish something else completely otherwise could be explained, Smoaky," Stick said, "But what the four of us say is nothing but the absolute truth."

Tears now formed in Laurel's eyes as she turned to her younger sister. "And if it wasn't for Elektra, you'd be... you'd be..." Laurel tried to say the full sentence, but instead, as the full realization at what could potentially have happened instead overwhelmed her, her hand came up over her mouth and she started to sob. Sara's arms were around in an instant, herself crying as she and Laurel hugged each other. Oliver, John, Roy and Felicity kept respectfully silent, they too having worked out the same thing.

Eventually the two Lance sisters came apart and Laurel now turned to Elektra, her arms held up. "May I, Elektra?" Laurel asked gently.

After a few moments' thought, Elektra nodded and came forward, allowing Laurel to wrap her arms tightly around her, Elektra graciously returning the favour. "Thank you thank you thank you," Laurel said, she and Elektra holding onto each other for a few more seconds before they too came apart.

"I'm just glad I was able to do what I did in good time, Laurel," Elektra said softly. Laurel nodded, not needing anymore to be said.

"And you're absolutely a hundred percent sure that Thea _is_ pregnant?" Roy asked, bringing them back to the main subject at hand, shocked to way more than just beyond the possibility that the young woman he had fallen and been in love with for over a year, and who he had planned on leaving Starling City altogether with right after dealing with Slade Wilson and his Mirakuru enhanced army before that in itself had gone down the drain, could now be the bearer of a child. John, Felicity, Laurel, Oliver, even Nyssa and Sara, were equally the same.

"Without a shadow of even the tiniest margin of error doubt, Roy," Elektra said. Oliver could tell from the sound of her voice, as well as looking very closely into her eyes, that Elektra was telling the truth. She now looked to Oliver himself. "I've seen all of it for myself over the last few weeks in Corto Moltese, Oliver," she told him, "Starting from the very first minute I first laid eyes on her and Merlyn there. She looked to be five months gone."

"And it's mine she carries?" Roy went on with something very much like desperation, also plain to see on his face.

Elektra looked him right in the eyes. "Unless some other punk did it for her, then yes, I think that you could very well be an expectant father, Roy," she said very sincerely and gently.

Five heads, belonging to Team Arrow, all shook profusely, looks of total disbelief shown very clearly on them as they processed every single second of this. Sara, Nyssa and Elektra, even Stick, kept respectfully silent, awaiting for one of them to speak something again. Eventually, Oliver did so, turning to and addressing Stick.

"If you don't mind me asking the question, what exactly do you and Elektra and these Chaste people you work for seek with Malcolm, Stick?" he asked the old man.

"Let's just say for now, Oliver lad, that me and the Chaste seek a few pleasureable words of our own with dear Malcolm," Stick explained. He nodded sideways with his head in Elektra's direction, "Ellie was just helping with tracking him." That earned a glower from Elektra.

"As if the bastard would even bother to hang around for a chat anyway," Laurel remarked snarkily.

"What the old man means to say, Laurel..." Elektra spoke up again, addressing the older Lance sister, "...is that when Merlyn initiated the Undertaking, he caused just as much a great deal of upset to the Chaste as the League of Assassins, and also when he took Thea away from Starling City, from all of you..." she looked between all the members of Team Arrow, "...with him. Hence why, as we've all explained, me, the old man, the Chaste, and Sara and Nyssa and the League have all been searching for and tracking Merlyn for the same amount of time as each other." She shrugged, "That good enough for you?"

Laurel considered, then nodded. "I guess so," she said.

"Then I guess that settles it," Oliver said. At hearing the unmistakable tone in his words, everyone turned to him, all of them, barring of course Stick, seeing the determination on his face, "We're going to Corto Moltese."

Everyone's reactions were different. Sara, Nyssa, Elektra and Stick responded with nods of approval and sly grins. Roy, Laurel, Felicity and John looked between themselves with mixtures of surprise and doubt on their faces. Eventually, Roy broke the silence. "Oliver," he said, stepping forward, "Thea's letter said not to come and find her."

"That letter was addressed to you, not to me," Oliver told the younger man. He hadn't raised his voice, but the hardness was clear in his words. "If it wasn't for Elektra, Laurel would've lost Sara tonight," Oliver went on, "And from what she, Sara, Nyssa and Stick had all told us, Malcolm put her under the influence of that drug to make her do so." He looked to Nyssa, "Vitura, you said, right?"

Nyssa nodded, "Yes."

Sara now came up to Oliver, laying her hand on his arm. "Let's go get your sister back," she told him.

Roy walked over to the glass cabinet and mannequin that displayed his Arsenal suit and weapons and picked up his bow. "What're you doing, laddie?" Stick asked.

Roy turned back round. "Thea's gone because of me, Stick," he said, bow in hand, "Because of the lies that I told her." He now looked between Oliver and the rest of Team Arrow, "So I owe this to all of you to make things right, which means I'm coming with you."

Before Oliver could say anything in way of an argument, Sara and Nyssa moved to stand with him. "We are too, Ollie," Sara agreed.

"After months of searching, tracking and failing to capture Merlyn, and as my father has instructed me and my beloved to use whatever means possible to capture and bring him back to Nanda Parbat to face justice for his crimes..." Nyssa added, "We are not going to let him slip out from between our fingers yet again this time."

"Nyssa speaks the same for me," Elektra nodded, coming to stand with them also. She glanced over at Stick, "Doesn't she, old man?"

Stick stayed where he was, but nodded his own agreement before looking in Oliver's direction. Even in the state they were in, and had been from the very day he was born nine decades ago, Stick's misted pale blue eyes seemed to fix on Oliver's perfectly seeable ones all the same. "I'm not gonna change their minds, Oliver lad," Stick said, then slowly turned his head Terminator style to fix his unseeing gaze on John, Felicity and Laurel as well. "And that goes for you lot as well," he said to them, "Cos they're absolutely right. All of 'em."

Oliver looked first at Stick, and then Roy, Sara, Nyssa and lastly Elektra. The five of them, as well as John, Felicity and Laurel, all looked to him, the three fighter women, Roy and Stick with firmly set expressions on their faces. Eventually, he nodded. "Start packing," he answered simply. At once, the three women and Roy visibly relaxed.

"Think that only applies to Roy really, Ollie," Sara remarked mischievously, "Me and Nyss already are. And I bet Elektra and Stick are as well."

"You got that right, Sara," Elektra agreed, eyes twinkling with the same mischief.

Oliver chuckled too, then turned to his fellow team mates, "John?"

John shook his head. "I'll let you know later," he said, "I need to get back to my family." Oliver nodded his approval and John left, ascending up the steps.

"Let's get back to the safehouse," Nyssa told Sara. Sara nodded and with a quick hug and a "See you later" to Oliver, she and Nyssa also departed.

Laurel nodded when Oliver looked to her next and came forward to hug him also. "Go get her," she said, "Bring her back safe."

Oliver nodded as they released each other. "I will," he smiled reassuringly. He looked to Roy, Nyssa, Sara, Elektra and Stick, "We all will." Nods followed. "Felicity?" Oliver asked his last member.

She nodded. "Stay outta mischief and don't piss off anyone. I got it," she said. Oliver nodded, and then went over to his own cabinet containing his Arrow suit and began to gather up his own weapons.

"Oh, I probably shouldn't take that one," Felicity said, nodding to his Oneida Kestrel Compound bow. He turned back to her and she shrugged, "Just, you know, thought a bit more simpler sort would be a little easier, is all."

Oliver considered, then nodded, deciding she had a point. Luckily, he knew just the solution.

* * *

John paused in the doorway of the hospital ward. "Hey," he said softly with a massive smile at seeing his girl resting peacefully in the bed. Hearing him, Lyla turned in his direction.

"Hey," she replied, her own huge smile lighting up her whole face. John entered and came over, leaning down to kiss her on the lips, obligingly returned by Lyla.

"Sssshhh. She's in dreamland," Lyla said quietly, she and John both looking towards their brand new addition who was resting peacefully in the glass cradle by the bed. Tears came into the couple's eyes as they did so.

"I'm gonna enjoy spending some quality time with her once you're both released from here," John said as once again they exchanged smiles and a kiss, "Hell, I'm even looking forward to changing a few diapers."

Lyla chuckled softly, "And I'm looking forward to believing that when I see it." John himself chuckled at that. "So, how did it go?" Lyla then asked, referring to when Oliver called John away for a little celebratory meeting down in the bunker. John brought her up to date, not leaving anything out, right up to Oliver's decision.

"I think you should go with them," Lyla said after he finished.

John was surprised. "Oliver's got Roy, Sara, Nyssa, Elektra and Stick to watch his back," he said, "I'm pretty sure they can all take on Merlyn together and win considering that Nyssa and Sara are part of the League of Assassins, even though Stick beat the two of them all by himself despite being blind. And from what Elektra also said, she got her training from him too."

"You and Team Arrow may have Starling City purring like a kitten for the first time in a long time," Lyla said, "And yes, Oliver will have his friends, including this Stick and Elektra Natchios, but the rest of the world is still a very dangerous place. Including Corto Moltese."

"Lyla, I don't like where this is headed," John said, starting to feel a little uneasy.

"We, that is ARGUS, have a field operative down there who's gone dark," Lyla explained.

"Alright, so speak to Waller. Tell her to send another agent, or at the very least a task force," John suggested.

"He's not in any kind of trouble," Lyla pointed out with a shake of her head. "He hasn't touched his panic button," she went on, making a gesture with her hands as she said the words, "More than likely he's probably just drunk in some belleza's villa anyway. Mark Shaw, that's his name by the name, has been known to miss a few days from time to time."

Lyla leaned forward and put her hand on John's arm, squeezing it. "Look, just do me this small favour, Johnny," she said gently and persuasively, "And see if he's OK. Just tell him to check in."

John layed his own hand on hers. "Lyla..." he began.

"If he doesn't do it soon, I'm gonna have to call in the cavalry, and I don't want to get him into trouble with Waller," Lyla continued, "You know what she's like and all. Mark's an old friend. And besides..." she smiled cheekily, "As I said, I think Oliver would be glad that you'll be tagging along with him and the others."

John considered, then sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll go," he said. He looked in his baby girl's direction once more. "She better not do anything interesting while I'm gone," he remarked jokingly.

Lyla giggled. "It's only the first night," she said, "By the way, have you still not thought of a good name for her yet?"

A fresh smile originated on John's face. "I may have done, babe," he said, and he leaned down to kiss Lyla again, "But I think I'll leave it till after we get back with Thea. Call it a first family special surprise."

Lyla nodded, accepting his decision. "Good luck, Johnny," she said. John nodded and left the room, Lyla staring after him, still beaming.

As John walked back down the hospial corridor, he brought his phone out of his pocket and called Oliver's number. It rang twice before it was answered. "_Hey. Made up your mind yet_?" Oliver asked from the other end.

John nodded, "I'm in. Let's go." He pictured Oliver smiling at his words as he rang off.

* * *

_Corto Moltese, next day_

The group members disembarked from the two taxis which had been waiting for them at the airport, Elektra and Sara helping Stick out the door as part of their pretense act before the old man straightened up and shrugged off their hands from his arms.

"So what's the play with Thea?" Roy asked as the driver of the car he, Oliver and John were in opened the boot to collect their bags. Nyssa did so with hers, Sara's, Elektra's and Stick's, shaking her head at the cab driver and giving him a daring look as she did. All of them, barring Stick who much to their amusement grudgingly refused to shed his khaki jacket and trousers and cap, and Elektra who chose not to do the same with her black jeans and vest jacket and red shirt, had changed into civilian clothing suited for the tropical environment of where they now were. Even so, they were all sweating, Roy with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, Elektra, with her arms bare, having no such problem in that field, even though her dark clothes absorbed the sticky heat and clung to her body.

"Thea currently serves the local customers as a waitress at a local cafe not too far from here," Elektra answered as Nyssa rejoined them, handing Sara and Stick their own travel bags while slinging her own over her shoulder, "I've acquired a pretty good idea of her daily sort of routine during the weeks I've kept her and Merlyn under observation. Hopefully you won't have too much difficulty in recognizing her face once you lay eyes on her."

"That'll be something for you and Diggy boy and the kid to do yourselves, Oliver lad," Stick said, "While me and Ellie and the Canary and Demon's heiress go for a nice little chat with our old pal Malcolm."

"Shouldn't be too hard to bet that he won't be wanting a chat with you four considering the reasons you're each after him," Dig remarked.

"Are you absolutely sure you won't need me to come along with you?" Oliver asked as he took his own bag, in which held a good number of his green feathered arrows and Shado's longbow, his alternative to his Oneida Kestrel Compound and which was still in full working condition even though he hadn't used it ever since his supposed to have been final battle with Merlyn the night of the Undertaking.

Sara nodded. "We're absolutely sure, Ollie," she said, "Besides, there's the matter of what Lyla wants you to do too."

"You three can easily handle that little task," Stick pointed out also, "While we do so with Malcolm."

Oliver looked to John and Roy, who both considered Stick and Sara's words, then nodded their agreement on the matter. He looked back to the other four. "Go get him," he told them. When he next spoke, his voice was touched with hatred, "Try and capture him alive if possible, so that I can look into his eyes as I skewer an arrow through his brain for everything that he's done."

Nyssa smirked. "That would be our pleasure, Oliver," she said smugly, Sara and Elektra responding the same, Stick remaining as impassive as ever.

Oliver nodded then gestured to his two fellow Team Arrow members before heading off, Roy, his bag containing his red recurve bow and some red feathered arrows, following him. "Good luck," John said to the quartet before hurrying after the other two men.

Once the three had left, Stick, Nyssa and Sara all looked to Elektra. "Well, Ellie, you know where the magician lives," Stick said coolly.

"Care to show us where his luxury house is?" Sara asked.

Elektra, her sly grin appearing, gave a sideways head nod to the way ahead. "Follow me," she answered simply and set off a brisk march down the street, Stick, Sara and Nyssa following right behind her.

* * *

"And you're absolutely sure that this is where Merlyn is currently living, Elektra?" Nyssa asked as they stopped at where the curved drive leading up to the splendid white painted villa before them began.

"Oh you can be absolutely assured that it is, Nyssa," Elektra said, an icy quality to her voice now as she looked towards the mansion, "As I also gladly mentioned last night, I've even been successful in accomplishing the impossible, meaning I managed to infiltrate the place when the two of them were not in residence and plant several bugs here and there within. Hence why we're all here now."

Nyssa nodded, "Very well." With that, she and Sara unslung their bags from around their shoulders and dropped them to the ground, before unzipping them and unloading and spreading out on the ground in front of them a variety of weapons- Nyssa's PSE AD Compound bow and quiver full of maroon feathered arrows, her sword, Sara's expandable batons fixed in their bo-staff form, her Sonic device, and several daggers and knives all with lethally sharp blades.

Together, the two women kitted themselves out in all of them, and after Nyssa tightened the straps on her quiver, she approached Elektra, stopping before her. "As a reward, Elektra, for doing what you did last night and saving my beloved from being taken from me and her Team Arrow friends," she said to the other woman, "I present you with these." She reached out with both hands and looking down, Elektra saw that Nyssa was holding two sais. Her eyes widened, her mouth opening a little, and she looked back to Nyssa.

"Nyssa..." she began.

"We're about to face the great Al-Saher, and no one can face him weaponless without surviving long enough to live to tell the tale afterwards," Nyssa said, "And as I said..." she gave Nyssa a small smile, "It's your reward for saving Sara." She stretched her hands out towards Elektra a bit more, "Take them."

Elektra regarded the sais for a few seconds more, and then took them. When she glanced over at Sara, the Canary smiled and nodded, boosting Elektra's confidence.

"Are you three birdies now done with pleasantries and exchanges?" Stick asked, speaking for the first time in minutes, "Cos let's not forget the reason for why we and the three boys are here."

The three women looked to him, and this time thankfully it wasn't just Elektra who had an annoyed expression on her face. "I don't think we have so, Stick," Sara shot back snarkily.

Elektra nodded, then made a gesture with her head. "Let's go," she said, and together, Elektra once again leading the way, the four of them advanced up the drive to the villa. As soon as they reached the building, Elektra stopped once again, the other three doing so too, and glanced up towards the open terrace on their left. She looked back to them.

"You three take the front door," she told them, "I'll come up from behind the bastard the same way I got in before." She gestured to the terrace with her left sai, "That way."

The three looked in the same direction, Sara and Nyssa secretly agreeing that it would be a good place for someone to sneek in without using the main entrance, which consisted of a triangular archway through which a brickway stepway and two splendid oak wood doors were accessible. "You sure about that, Ellie?" Stick asked coolly.

Elektra turned to him. "Would you stop questioning my confidence and trust me stuff at least once, old man?" she spat at Stick harshly. Without waiting for a reply, she stuck her sais in the back pockets of her jeans and moved away from them.

Stick looked to Sara and Nyssa, at the same time removing his glasses and placing them once again in his jacket pocket. "With me, ladies," he said and drew his sharp as ever Katana from his belt sheath. Nyssa drew an arrow from her quiver and notched it into her bowstring, raising her bow. Sara expanded her batons, holding them in both hands. Together, they made their way to the doors which lead into the villa.

"_Saludas_," a voice said from behind them in Spanish. The three turned as one to see youngish man in a shirt and white trousers and a hat who had appeared from nowhere slowly approaching them. "_Como puedo ayudarte_?" he asked.

Nyssa fired her arrow into the man's chest. The man gasped, eyes widening as in surprise before he fell onto his back, arms and legs spread out. "No thank you, kind sir," Nyssa remarked, Sara and Stick chuckling at her humoured reply. Nyssa drew a fresh arrow and fed it into her bowstring, she, Sara and Stick turning back to the villa doors once again.

Stick raised his sword. "Ready?" he asked. He sensed the nods that followed from Sara and Nyssa and that was all he needed. He lifted his right foot and kicked out, his boot slamming into the doors where they met when closed. The force of Stick's kick was enough to make the doors open, the cool air of the building's interior rushing out to engulf them.

Almost as soon as they had done so however, Stick's left hand released its hold on the grip of his Katana and shot up, catching the arrow which had just been fired directly at him inches before it could power into his eye.

"Mello greetings, Magician," Stick said smugly. He wraggled the arrow in his hands, "And once again, too slow off the mark." He let his hand drop down and open, the arrow clattering to the floor as Malcolm Merlyn aka Al-Saher, the Magician, glared hatefully at him and Sara and Nyssa, his bow, which no doubt had just been used in firing the arrow intented to kill Stick, raised in his left hand, the hatred on the faces of the two League women much more bigger and powerful than on his.

* * *

**And there we are. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and feel free to review as usual.**

**Yes, I know it's again another cliffhangar I've ended at, but this time, as you can hopefully tell, I did so for a very appropriate reason. On that note, I will add by saying that Oliver, Dig and Roy's mission on tracking down that rogue ARGUS agent will still happen as it did in the episode, but it will only be mentioned once or twice because what's gonna be going down next chapter in the villa will be the sole focus, and trust me, hopefully that is I should more appropriately say for now, it's one you'll not wanna miss for the world.**

**As you now know, Elektra has got her sais early and from Nyssa, instead of towards the end of Daredevil season 2 by acquiring them off the Frenchman assassin sent by Stick to kill her. Felt it was appropriate to do so considering who she, Nyssa, Sara and Stick are about to face off against, and Elektra's not quite at Nyssa, Sara, Stick and Malcolm's fighting qualities yet.**

**On a small note, I'll just say that after I post a new chapter, I take a two or three day break from writing as I like to give myself a rest from it, and it also allows me of course to recharge my batteries up to full once again, and also to refresh up on important things necessary for how the next chapter will go down, Youtube clips of fighting scenes from the characters in the story being one of them. Hope that's OK with you guys.**

**Anyway, until next time, adios amigos from Flashraven**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Arrow or Daredevil or any of their characters.**

**So once again, thank you everyone, you as always especially, Aragorn II Elessar, buddy, who reviewed last chapter. And now we've reached something I'm fairly sure one or two of you have been very eager for as well as me- the first clash of the titans, Malcolm Merlyn vs the combined team up of Sara Lance, Nyssa Al Ghul, Elektra Natchios and Stick. Who will come out on top? Well, only one way to find out, so on that note, let's delve right in and see what happens.**

**On a small note, the atrocious rainy weather last Monday and Tuesday, the 10th and 11th, made both days absolute shit for brains for me on my work shift, meaning I got absolutely bloody soaked through when I was walking about in it, so of course it didn't help at all that it put me off writing mode afterwards, which delayed how long I would've liked to have been with doing this.**

**Anyway, as usual, enjoy and feel free to review and let me know what you thought of it**

* * *

Malcolm slowly lowered his bow arm. "Greetings, Stick, warrior of the Chaste," he growled.

Stick gave a single nod of his head, acknowledging the words. "And to you too, Malcy boy," he answered back simply.

"How did you find me at last?" Malcolm asked.

"Do you really think you could outrun the League and my father forever, Al-Saher?" Nyssa replied, Sara and Stick smirking at her question, "Ever since we received the tip off delivered to us by Moira Queen that you weren't quite as dead as we had first believed, we have been pursuing you all over the globe, tracing and retracing your footsteps, talking to anyone and everyone you ever came into contact during that time."

"The same goes for me and the Chaste, Malcy boy," Stick added, "You pissed us off just as much as Nyssy and Sara lovely's bruvs and sisters in black when you initiated your Undertaking, _and_ took the Queen boy's sister away from her home city, from _him_ and his friends, forcing them to believe the lies she's been feeding them by hand phone text for the last few months, telling 'em she's been seeing the sights of the world instead the real fact, that she's been languishing in this shithole of a country with you."

Malcolm's whole body heaved up and down, so great was his barely contained rage. At last, he turned to Sara, running his hate filled eyes over her up and down. "So, not quite as dead as I intended you to be, eh, Sara?" he snarled.

Sara nodded, the firey hatred on her own face not diminishing in the slightest, the grip of her hands on her bo-staff'ed batons tightening to crushing volume. "Indeed so it seems, Merlyn," she sneered, putting as much spit into Malcolm's surname as possible.

"We worked out what you did to Thea to make her do what she almost succeeded in doing," Nyssa further explained, "The vitura."

"Oh yes," Stick took up again, "We know _everything_."

Malcolm breathed heavily through his nose, struggling to hold back his still full as hell rage as he took in what the three each said between them. "So you found me in general," he eventually said, "But how did you know _exactly_ where I'd be?"

"Um, I think that would be thanks to me," Elektra's voice spoke from behind, and as Malcolm turned a hundred and eighty degrees to face behind him, Elektra herself jump flipped over the wooden support rail at the top of the staircase behind him, touching down perfectly on the ground floor, her knees bending a little before she straightened fully up again. Once again, her red shirt was pulled up over her mouth.

"Elektra Natchios, at your service, Malcolm Merlyn," she said snarkily.

"Good timing, Ellie," Stick said.

Elektra ignored him and continued to address the sullen Malcolm. "You wanna know how we found you, Merlyn?" she said. She shrugged, "Me and the old man successfully pinpointed you to here a few weeks ago, and ever since then I have been shadowing you and Thea, following your every move carefully from afar, noting down everything I've learned."

Although Malcolm's facial expression didn't change, realization flashed briefly in his eyes. "I thought that someone was watching us," he said, "But every time I looked, I saw no one."

Elektra shrugged, her pulled up shirt hiding a smirk. "The Chaste granted me with skills as good as that of the League of Assassins when they trained me," she answered, "Including how to make yourself invisible to your enemy before they spot you. And also how to successfully infiltrate their base of operations and leave without leaving any trace of evidence that you were ever there."

Malcolm raised an eyebrow, and Elektra nodded, her eyes shining. "I suppose you're probably curious also as to just how Sara is alive and not as dead as you originally wanted her to be?" she went on, "You can thank the bugs I installed right here in your comfortable manor house a few days ago when you and Thea weren't in residence for that." Hidden beneath her pulled up shirt, Elektra's smug grin grew bigger, "I was able to hear every word you made on your phone about arrangements for a journey to Starling City, and then the night before last, when you and Thea went to rendevous with your private ride, I followed you there, and then watched comfortably from the bushes as you headed for your destination."

The new anger which now rose in Malcolm's eyes was at fire level, his lips pursed together, his left hand clutching his bow so tightly he could've snapped it in half there and then. "And so to cut a long story short for you, Merlyn," Sara spoke again, Malcolm turning back to her, Nyssa and Stick, "When Thea, under the vitura's influence, appeared on the Starling City rooftop I was on preparing to put three arrows into my chest, who should come jumping down in front of me and prevent her from doing so with a metal scaffolding pole?" She smirked and made a head gesture to Elektra, "Thank who is standing behind you for that."

In response, Malcolm threw down his bow, then pulled his right hand back a little way behind his back. He gave his hand a couple of spinning moves, and as if by true magician's magic a sword suddenly appeared in it. He brought his arm forward again and raised his sword, taking ahold of the grip in both hands, at the same time taking up a combat stance.

"Oh come on now, Malcy," Stick remarked, highly amused by what he had sensed Malcolm had just done, "The way I see it, the odds are a little bit against you. You might as well give yourself here and now."

"Never, old man," Malcolm snarled, baring his tightly clenched teeth as he said the words.

"The supremist warrior of the Chaste," Stick corrected him in a dangerous sort of voice, "The daughter of the Demon Headmaster Ra's Al Ghul. The lovely sing song birdy baton wielding Canary. And standing right behind you, one of my best students."

"Who you abandoned when you deemed her too dangerous to use in the Chaste's perverted war against the Hand, and instead moved on to train Matthew instead," Elektra spat back at Stick harshly, at the same time drawing her sais out from her back jeans pockets and clutching them tightly in her gloved hands.

Nyssa relaxed her right arm, the one holding her notched arrow, and returned the arrow to her quiver, before slinging her bow over her shoulder. "As the Blind Master obliged to me and my beloved last night, give it your best shot, Al-Saher," she sneered, Sara obliging with one of her own, Stick smirking slightly. Together, the three of them readied themselves. Nyssa drew her Scimitar sword from its sheath on her belt, holding it in her right hand, before drawing one of the daggers she had also armed herself with and holding that in her left. Sara positioned herself into a martial arts stance, feet apart, bo-staff fixed batons raised so that only her now raised right hand held them up behind her head readied in a swinging position. Stick once again raised his Katana, holding it up in front of him, and took the grip in both hands.

Malcolm didn't need to say anything further in response. He charged forward, swinging his sword towards Stick. As Sara and Nyssa each took respectfully a big step to the side, Stick blocked Malcolm's sword with his Katana, then performed a hop and planted a full powered side kick into Malcolm's chest, propelling the other man backwards and into Elektra's range. Elektra kicked Malcolm's left leg in the in-between part, forcing Malcolm to bend down. But as Elektra moved in, swinging her right sai in a back hand cutting move aimed at his neck, Malcolm spun round and blocked her sai with his sword. Elektra used the position her body was in to swing her left leg in a fourty five degree kick, her booted foot crashing into Malcolm's face.

Malcolm fell down onto his back, but immediately, and all in one, rolled over onto his front and sprung into a crouching position and then fully up back onto his feet. Before Elektra could adopt a defending position, Malcolm's foot slammed into her chest in a powerful pushing front kick, staggering Elektra backwards before Malcolm followed through with a spinning jumping kick, sending Elektra to the floor, her sais falling from her hands.

Malcolm advanced up to her and grabbed Elektra's ponytailed hair, Elektra gasping from the new pain as he forced her up into a kneeling position before yanking her ponytail, forcing her head backwards so that she was looking up at him. His sword blade rested against her throat.

"Goodbye, Miss Natchios," Malcolm sneered, preparing to slit Elektra's throat. But then he yelled as he was slashed from behind across the shoulder blades, the blade cutting his t-shirt too as a result. Malcolm whirled round intending to strike down who it was who had done it, but Nyssa, the source of the slash, ducked, straightened back up and thrust down with her left hand, in which was held her dagger, the blade driving into Malcolm's right shoulder. Malcolm yelled all the more and back handed Nyssa across the face with his right hand, the brunette woman's head snapping to the right, while Malcolm yanked the dagger out of his shoulder and threw it away.

"Not this time, you piece of shit," Nyssa growled, having recovered from the blow.

"Exactly what I would've said, Nyssy," Stick remarked gleefully, drawing a small giggle from Sara as Malcolm came at Nyssa, swinging crazily left, right, down or right around with his sword, and even getting off a few kicks, but every single one, sword swing or kick, was blocked or dodged expertly by Nyssa, who put all the training her father had gifted to her ever since she had been old enough to start fighting, she and Malcolm moving around the small space of the entrance hall as they fenced with each other, Sara, Stick and Elektra, who had retrieved her sais and pulled herself back onto her feet, watching closely, occasionally shuffling around to see if and when to get in on the fun themselves.

Eventually, Nyssa concluded the fight. She blocked a right swing from Malcolm with her Scimitar sword before lashing out with her right foot, hitting Malcolm full square between the legs. The other man groaned and bent over with the pain, which gave Nyssa the chance to jump and spin and kick out again with her right leg in a high back kick, the bottom of her boot hitting Malcolm square in the face, his nose breaking, as he was sent flying back, sliding along the floor before coming to rest at Sara and Stick's feet.

"Al-Owal may have been your personal trainer during your two year time with us, Merlyn, but I am the daughter of the Demon's Head," Nyssa sneered at Malcolm as she and Elekta both came over.

"And the child of the Demon gets taught _everything_," Sara added further to the taunt, Stick and Elektra sniggering.

Lacking his sword, but seeing that his bow was right next to his hand, Malcolm, blood streaming down over his lips and chin from his broken nose, seized it and flipped himself into the air and landed back on his feet among the group of four.

He swung his bow hand at Sara, which Sara ducked to avoid, before trying again in a back handed move. Sara blocked it with her bo-staff'ed batons and then put all her power and strength into a fourty five degree kick with her right foot, bending it forward so that the top of her boot slammed into Malcolm's side.

The second Sara had done her kick, throwing his sword away Stick now moved in, spinning and landing a powerful knife strike into Malcolm's back with his left hand, Malcolm stumbling forward a step before, and emitting with a hatred filled roar at the same time, spinning round and swinging his bow hand at Stick. Stick grabbed the bow with his own hand and pulled, effortlessly yanking the bow out of Malcolm's hand and throwing it away too.

Enraged all the more, Malcolm lashed out at Stick in a left handed knife strike, Stick ducking it, before trying a high kick with his right leg. Stick grabbed Malcolm's foot in both hands, then let got with his right and twisted Malcolm's leg violently the other way with his left, at the same time striking his right hand downwards in a savage knife strike. The sound of Malcolm's leg bone breaking sounded out very clearly, and Malcolm screamed, falling down onto his now broken leg, but Stick wasn't finished with him yet. He grabbed the other man by his t-shirt and pulled Malcolm back up again, kneeing him once, twice, in the chest with his right knee, Malcolm gasping from the blows but then yelling as Stick threw him into the nearest wall and turned him round to face him.

"Can't even fight an old man, Malcy," Stick said, remarking the same words he had spoken to Matt Murdock not too far off recently as he planted several full powered merciless punches into Malcolm's face with his right hand, adding more blood to that from his smashed nose, his left hand round Malcolm's throat pinning him to the wall as he did the job, before grabbing the scruff of Malcolm's t-shirt with both. "He's all yours, ladies," Stick spoke to Sara, Nyssa and Elektra without turning round to do so, and threw Malcolm back into their midst, Malcolm falling to the floor.

Dazed and in pain from Stick's blows and his broken leg, Malcom was unable to fend off the barrage of blows which now came from the three women. Sara went first, spinning and swinging one end of her batons into Malcolm's face, his head snapping to the right, allowing Nyssa to kick him hard in the chin with her right foot, Malcolm's head snapping upwards as he fell backwards. But before he hit the floor, he was grabbed by his t-shirt, this time by Elektra, and pulled up again. Her right hand holding the scruff of Malcolm's t-shirt, Elektra held up her left hand, the very tip of her sai pointing right at Malcolm's right eye.

"An eye for an eye, just like with Slade Wilson, don't you think, Merlyn?" she asked him gleefully. Malcolm, dazed and bloodied from the many blows inflicted on him, most of them by Stick, didn't answer. Elektra looked to Sara and Nyssa. "What say you, Sara, Nyssa?" she asked the other two women.

Nyssa nodded. "Go ahead, Elektra," she said.

Sara nodded also. "Let's see what Ra's thinks of him lacking his sight by half when we bring him to Nanda Parbat." She, Nyssa and Elektra chuckled at that, then Elektra turned back to Malcolm.

"Please," Malcolm managed to whisper through his bloodied swollen lips, "Please don't this."

"Sorry, Merlyn," Elektra replied, "No can do this time for you." She tensed her left hand, preparing to thrust her sai forward into Malcolm's eye-

"Dad!" The shout was enough to freeze Elektra, Sara and Nyssa solid. Malcolm, still in Elektra's grip, suddenly rigid, alerted to it also. Then slowly, the three women and Stick all looked towards the still open entrance doors.

Thea Queen, dressed in a light grey sleeveless top- which allowed Sara and Nyssa to have a much better and very unmistakable view of her enlargened belly, verifying Elektra's information to a tea that the younger Queen sibling was indeed pregnant- jeans of a darker grey, and black trainers, was standing there, her eyes wide, hands clapped over her mouth in shock at seeing the three women and Stick standing over her badly beaten father (**quick note: for this story, I'm keeping Thea's hair long. Short hair or long hair, her actress Willa Holland's very hot all the same, but I love Thea's long hair a bit more**).

"Hello, Thea," Nyssa said to break the awkward silence that had suddenly descended. Unfortuantely, it was what gave Malcolm his chance. With Elektra's attention distracted towards Thea, he grabbed the hand she was holding him by his t-shirt and twisted hard. Elektra cried out from the pain, but before she, Sara, Nyssa or Stick could do anything, Malcolm twisted his body in a roll, his legs swinging up into Elektra's face, sending her flying sideways into Stick as Malcolm, even with the pain from his broken leg still racking him, struggled back to his feet, his left hand coming up, holding something- a small black object.

Sara and Nyssa's eyes widened upon realizing what the object, and what Malcolm was about to do. "Not so fast, Merlyn," Sara shouted, she and Nyssa both lunging forward towards him, weapons high. Stick followed suit, hopping over Elektra, his Katana, retrieved a couple of minutes earlier, held up ready to strike. Too late. Malcolm threw the device down and at once, there was a bang, a flash of brilliant white light and a great plume of smoke, along with a small scream from Thea, the smoke disapperating after a few seconds, revealing...

"No," Nyssa roared, rage on her and Sara's faces at seeing, once again, that their quarry had slipped through their fingers yet again. Elektra, who was once again back on her feet, was the same, her teeth bared, eyes blazing. Even Stick showed it, a muscle twitching in the side of his face, even though his mouth remained tight lipped and neutrally straight.

"What have you done?" Thea's voice spoke again in a whisper, the four turning to her again. The younger Queen's also displayed its own anger as she marched into the villa, taking great strides up to the group of four. "What have you done?" Thea asked again, the last word coming out in a shout as she swung her fist at the closest person she could see to her, that being Nyssa. But Nyssa caught it and spun so that she was behind Thea, at the same time pulling the other girl's arm behind her back, Thea gasping from the pain.

"Calm down, Thea," Nyssa insisted, "You don't want to cause any harm to your baby."

"What did you do to dad?" Thea half shouted in anger, "Where's he gone?"

"Thea, Nyssa speaks the truth," Sara tried to soothe her in as gentle a voice as possible, "We don't want to hurt you or the baby at all if we can possibly help it."

"Thea," Oliver's panicked voice now sounded from outside, before he, Roy and John came haring into the villa too, Oliver and Roy holding their bows, arrow filled quivers on their backs, John holding a pistol. At Oliver and Roy's first looks, Nyssa respectfully released Thea immediately and then the girl immediately ran into the arms of her boyfriend.

"How'd your little task go, Oliver lad?" Stick asked as he re-sheathed his Katana, Sara, Nyssa and Elektra doing the same with their own weapons, Elektra also retrieving Nyssa's blood stained dagger for her, earning a nod of thanks from the brunette.

John answered the question. "Oh we found Shaw alright," he said bitterly, "Turns out the bastard was looking to buy his freedom outta ARGUS by trading the names and details of certain ARGUS agents and their family members- including mine."

Elektra shook her head. "Once a treacherous scumbag, always a treacherous scumbag," she said just as bitterly, "Anything for a bit of cash in the bank."

"So what did you do with him?" Sara asked.

"The bastard begged me to tell Waller I'd put a bullet through his head, that he was dead," John said. When this raised some eyebrows from Elektra, Stick and the two League women, he shrugged, "Gave him the easy way out and I let him live, that is I gave him the unconcious way out, instead of what I would so love to have really done." He changed the subject, "But that's that. Where's Merlyn?"

"Gone. Again. That's what," Sara snarled, still majorly pissed as lover Nyssa, Elektra and Stick that the man, thanks in a way to Thea's timely arrival, had been able to do what he did.

Meanwhile, Thea had released herself from Roy's arms and now moved to hug Oliver, but just as she was about to do so she noticed the arrows in the quiver on his back, and that the feathers were green. She froze, and then looked at her brother with wide eyes and a dropped open mouth. He glanced briefly over his shoulder to what it was, as he knew fully well, that had just initiated her sudden reaction, and then back to Thea.

"You're... you're him," Thea said to Oliver, digesting the fact that she had now worked out that her brother was the Arrow.

Oliver sighed, his head dropping, and then back up again, looking her right in the eye. "Yeah," he answered simply, "I'm the Arrow."

Sara now came forward. "You remember the blonde woman in black you probably also heard running around Starling City, Thea?" she asked gently. Thea turned to her and nodded. Sara gestured at her own chest with a thumb, "That was me."

Thea now turned to Roy. "That last night I was in Starling," she said in realization, "The bow and arrows I found in your apartment..."

Roy nodded, coming to Oliver's side. "Me and Dig together have been helping him to protect the city, Thea," he explained, "We're all part of the same team." He nodded to Sara, "Sara too. When she's been around that is."

"Believe me, none of us are expecting you to forgive us for lying to you all this time," John said softly as he moved to stand next to Roy, "And we've given you no reason to believe it when we say it all."

"But I, we, lied all this time to protect you," Oliver said.

Thea shook her head and spoke the next words to her brother. "All those times I got so mad at you for being... a flake," she said to him, "Or telling me something I knew had to be a lie." She moved closer to him, and Nyssa on some sort of instinct reached up towards her quiver for an arrow, but Sara layed a hand gently on hers and shook her head. Nyssa nodded, understanding what her beloved was saying and lowered her hand again.

"You were saving someone's life," Thea said, completely stunning Oliver, Roy and John with her words, the three of them and Sara having expected a much more explosive and angrier reaction from her. Thea closed the full distance to her brother at last and hugged him tight.

"Thank you," she said as tears broke from her eyes and she started crying, "Thank you, Ollie. Thank you." Oliver's lip quivered and Sara smiled, happy tears of her own coming to her eyes, as Oliver hugged Thea back. Eventually, they came apart.

"Does that mean you're ready to come home now?" Roy asked, a slight of desperation in his voice, easily detected by Oliver, Nyssa and Stick.

Thea nodded, now smiling and looked briefly down to her baby bump, rubbing it with a hand. "I think we both are," she said and Roy came forward to engulf her in a hug of his own, Thea returning it unhesitantly as Oliver, John, Sara, Nyssa and Elektra all smiled, Stick remaining as impassive as ever.

When they released each other, Thea remembered and now looked between Elektra, Stick and Nyssa, having not of course seen them at all before. "Uh..." she began.

Nyssa came forward. "My name is Nyssa Raatko, Thea, more commonly known though as Nyssa Al Ghul, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, head of the League of Assassins," she introduced herself, holding a hand which Thea shook.

Next came Elektra. "Elektra Natchios, Thea," she said, Thea also shaking her hand.

"Call me Stick, Thea sweety," Stick said simply to Thea when she looked towards him again, the rest of the people with them unable to contain small sniggers of laughter at the old man's new pronunciation, "And yes, before you ask the question, I'm blind."

"I think the eyes prove it anyway," Thea remarked, the laughter growing a bit more in volume, much to Stick's annoyance.

* * *

_Star City, that evening_

"What d'you think Ollie wants us down here for?" Laurel asked Felicity. The two of them were back in the secret lair beneath Verdant.

Felicity shrugged, "Got the same text as you, 'Meet us down in the bunker. Something's come up'. That's all he said."

"Well whatever it is, I hope it's nothing to do with-" Laurel began, but stopped as they heard the door up top open, and then feet descend down the metal staircase. Then, Oliver appeared, bag slung over his shoulder, followed by-

"Thea?!" Laurel and Felicity both gasped, shocked at seeing the younger Queen sibling in their secret headquarters. Behind her came Roy and John, then Sara and Nyssa, and lastly Elektra and Stick.

Oliver nodded. "She knows," he explained gently.

Laurel suddenly worked out just what the text he had sent and Felicity earlier had meant. "The message," she said, "You meant...?"

"Yes," Oliver nodded again, "That's what I meant."

"Hey, Laurel," Thea said to the older Lance sister, and nothing else was needed to be said as Laurel came forward to hug her.

John's phone pinged and he took it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen, seeing the new text there "It's Lyla," he said, "They've released her and the littlun from the hospital."

Oliver nodded. "Go," he said, "You've helped us enough for one day. Go be with them."

John smiled. "Thanks, man," he said and turned, preparing to head up the stairs again. Then he stopped and turned back, looking towards Elektra. "Could you possibly accompany me to me and babe's apartment, Elektra?" he asked her.

That got a raised eyebrow from Stick, the old man turning to Elektra. "Looks like the lad's soldier boy needs your service for whatever reason, Ellie," he said coolly. Elektra once again glared angrily at him and then looked back over to Dig.

"Might I ask why, Mr Diggle?" she asked.

Dig grinned again. "Let's just say there's someone I'd really love for you to meet," he said.

Elektra thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Very well," she said and followed him back up the stairs. Everyone else watched them leave, then Roy looked to Oliver.

"So what now, Oliver?" he asked.

"Now..." Oliver said, looking between everyone, "We find Merlyn."

Sara stepped forward. "And I think I know where to start," she said.

* * *

Lyla very gently rocked the little baby-gro clad girl in her arms, left hand on the back of her head, right hand under her bum, up and down as she carried her into her new nursery room, the walls covered with wallpaper of pinks and purples and decorated with different sorts of pictures, and lowered her into her new cradle, the inside walls and the bottom encased with thick protective cushioning, also covered pink, the bottom part decorated with pink flower images.

Lyla smiled hugely, the little girl making a few quiet cooing noises as her mum drew a pink and white coloured blanket over her, and gradually settled down into the comfort of sleep. So absorbed was Lyla in her joy at just looking at her new daughter that she didn't hear John and Elektra enter the apartment, John setting his case down in the doorway of the nursery room before stepping forward to wrap his arms round Lyla's front and plant a big kiss on her cheek.

"Hey," Lyla greeted in a whisper.

"I love you," John whispered back as his girlfriend turned to face him, "I love you both too. You two were all I could think about out there." They kissed then hugged, Elektra watching, arms folded across her chest, from the doorway with a huge smile of her own on her face.

As she and John slowly came apart, Lyla looked to her left and saw Elektra. "Johnny," she said and John looked in the same direction. Placing his arm around her shoulders, he gently lead Lyla over to the other woman.

"Elektra, this is my girlfriend, Lyla," John said to Elektra. Then he looked to Lyla, "Babe, this is the woman I told you about last night, the one who saved Sara from being killed by Thea- Elektra Natchios."

Elektra held out a hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Mrs Diggle," she said politely, "Your man Johnny boy has told me nothing but good and happiness about you."

Lyla chuckled quietly as she shook Elektra's hand, "It's Michaels actually," she corrected Elektra equally as politely, "But, you never know. It could very well be Mrs Diggle real soon perhaps." She looked up at John, sharing another chuckle and kiss with him.

"Oh," John said, remembering, and he walked back into the nursery room, leaning down to pull the blanket off his baby daughter and then very gently gathered her up in his arms, the little one stirring very slightly but thankfully not waking up, and carried her over to the two women.

"Johnny?" Lyla asked, curious as to what he was doing.

John smiled at her, his whole face lit up by it. "I said last night that I will've thought of a name for her by this time, remember, baby?" he said to Lyla. Lyla nodded. "Well," John said, and turned to Elektra, his smile seeming to grow even bigger as he did so.

At first, Elektra was confused as to why John was just looking at her the way he was without saying anything, but then, as she looked between him and the baby girl in his arms, the full realization of just what he meant hit her, and her eyes widened to their maximum stretch, her mouth dropping wide open.

"Are you... are you serious?" she breathed. Lyla had also worked out the same thing and turned to Elektra also, adding her own wide smile.

"You prevented Thea, when she was under the influence of that nasty Vitura drug thanks to Merlyn, from putting three arrows into a dear friend of ours, Sara that is, at exactly the right moment, Elektra," John said, now approaching Elektra, "And last night was also when this little treasure..." he nodded at the baby girl in his arms, "...was welcomed into the world by her big family. But we hadn't yet decided on what to call her." He stopped in front of Elektra, "Until now." He held out the little girl to Elektra and said proudly, "Elektra Natchios, say hello to, well, you. Elektra Michaels Diggle."

"I think it's an absolutely lovely choice, and the best one we could ever have gone for," Lyla added, coming to stand next to him, still beaming herself.

As tears of the utmost joy broke loose from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, Elektra very carefully took the littlun, baby Elektra as John had now decided for her name wise, from him, holding and rocking the little sleeping girl while softly stroking her little cheek with her left thumb.

"Hello, little one," Elektra whispered to her "Or little me, as your daddy and mommy will be calling you now." She looked up at John and Lyla again. "Thank you," she said quietly to them both. No further words were needed as the two wrapped Elektra in their arms in a threesome hug, making sure of course to do it extra carefully and gently so as to not hurt baby Elektra who slept on in adult Elektra's arms.

* * *

Outside, a ninja of the Hand, face hidden by his mask, a quiver full of arrows on his back, wooden bow on the ground by his feet, lowered his binoculars and took ahold of his bow before straightening up from the crouching position he been in for the last few minutes watching the happy moments between the three adults from the edge of the rooftop opposite the apartment building, which very thankfully was a good distance away for him not to have been seen if someone had happened to glance out the window.

"_Hello, Black Sky_," he said to himself in Japanese, then turned and left the area, racing across the city via the rooftops. Halfway, he met another Hand ninja who leapt down from another building to his left, and together, a minute later, the two of them entered the abandoned warehouse situated by the river, with very clear views over the now dark waters, the building itself now lit by the light of flaming torches showing several dozen warriors of the Hand at work busy unloading or preparing their weapons.

The two ninjas who had just arrived back made their way through the warehouse to the far end, where Nobu Yoshioka, Shabah Al-Shaytan and Takeo Yamashiro, the two twins Reiko and Yuki Yamashiro on one side of the three men each, all stood together. The two Hand ninjas stopped before them and sank to one knee, bowing their heads.

"_Welcome back, fellow warriors_," Nobu addressed them in Japanese, "_I trust you have brought news to be delivered_."

"_Indeed, Master Nobu_," the ninja on the right spoke, raising his head as he spoke, "_We have successfully located the exact place where the Starling City vigilante and his friends have established as their base of operations_."

"_The Black Sky and the blind warrior of the Chaste are with them also, Master Nobu_," the second ninja, the one who had been watching John, Lyla and Elektra, continued, "_I followed Black Sky myself as she accompanied the one known as John Diggle back to his home apartment_."

Nobu, Shabah Al-Shaytan and Takeo stiffened at hearing 'Black Sky' and 'blind warrior of the Chaste' and shared glances with each other before turning back to the two ninjas who still knelt before them. This time, Shabah Al-Shaytan spoke. "_Are you absolutely a hundred percent sure that they are indeed both here in Starling City_?" he asked in Arabic.

"_Without even the slightest error or margin for doubt whatsoever, Shabah Al-Shaytan_," ninja number one confirmed.

"_And what of my father and paternal half-sister_?" the League man further asked, "_What news is there of them_?"

"_Your half-sister was in the company of her half-brother and his friends, Black Sky and the Chaste warrior among them, when they entered his nightclub, Shabah Al-Shaytan_," ninja number two answered, "_So wherever it is that she went to with your father, Al-Saher, five months ago, they have successfully retrieved her from. But as to Al-Saher's whereabouts, I'm afraid there is nothing to be shared for the moment_."

Shabah Al-Shaytan, as well as Nobu and Takeo, considered all this, then, their minds made up, they nodded. "You will continue to watch over Al Sah-Him and his sister and their friends, especially Ra's Al Ghul and her lover," Takeo now spoke for the first time, and in accented English, "More of your fellow warriors will join you in doing so. At the very first sign you see them heading off somewhere which might entail that Al-Saher has been found, you are to report it to us immediately. Is that understood?"

"_Loud and clear very plainly, Master Dragon_," ninja number one answered.

"And keep a close eye on Black Sky too," Nobu ordered, also speaking in English, "We do not wish any harm to come to her, do we?"

"_No, Master Nobu_," ninja number two replied.

"Very well. You may leave," Nobu told the two kneeling warriors, who bowed their heads again in response.

"_Yes, Master_," both chorused at the same time as each other, then stood fully up and walked away from the three men and the twins.

"What about our agents established throughout the city, Master Nobu?" Shabah Al-Shaytan asked the Japanese man.

Nobu nodded. "Yes, Shabah Al-Shaytan," he said, answering the question before the League man could continue further. He smiled slightly, "Send the word out to them. All shall be activated immediately."

Shabah Al-Shaytan nodded and turned to Takeo. "You heard him, brother," he said, "See to it."

Takeo smiled himself, his smile that of a sly fox. "At once, brother partner," he said.

* * *

**And there we are. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and feel free to review as usual.**

**I very much hope the fight in the villa between Malcolm, Sara, Nyssa, Elektra and Stick fitted what you were wishing for, considering how much I've worked my ass off to make it so, including having to re-watch Youtube video clips of fights of Stick vs either Matt or Elektra, Sara against whoever, and Oliver and Nyssa vs Malcolm together or separately, to help with it, haha.**

**I was not planning on having Thea finding out that her brother is the Arrow, and that boyfriend Roy and their friends are the other vigilantes, until episode 3x04, which is where next chapter will be starting, but as I had Oliver and Roy take their vigilante bows and arrows with them to Corto Moltese in this instead of some silly homemade ones as in the real episode, and considering after all that Thea is pregnant and Roy wouldn't want her in Corto any longer because of it, I just couldn't resist it. So now, Thea knows everything, except of course about what she almost did to Sara while under the Vitura influence, that will come much later in the story, and has also met Nyssa, along with Elektra and Stick, properly for the first time.**

**Yes, Sara Diggle is Baby Elektra in this, the reason for the change in name being that Baby Sara was given her name by daddy Diggle to honour his Canary friend who of course was killed in the real season 3, so as Sara is alive and well here, well, someone else's name had to be found for the little cutie, and in the end Elektra herself was mine and Dig's decision in honour of what she's done for Oliver and the gang by saving Sara in chapter 1. Hope the decision is good with you guys too.**

**So, the Hand is now in Star City, and is readying and preping to go on the hunt, which will be starting very much in earnest next chapter. One thing is for sure, our heroes, their two new allies, and Malcolm had better watch out.**

**That is it from me, so until next time, adios amigos from Flashraven.**


	5. Chapter 5- 3x04, The Magician, part I

**I do not own Arrow or Daredevil or any of their characters.**

**So once again, thank you to Bl4ckHunter, buddy Aragorn II Elessar and Ladyawesome45321 for the reviews on last chapter. Last time, Malcolm faced our Fiercesome Four quartet- Nyssa, Sara, Stick and Elektra- and lost badly; Thea learned of her brother Oliver and his friends' other identities and returned home to Star City with them; Diggle named his new baby daughter Elektra in honour of adult Elektra for saving Sara from vitura drugged Thea; and the Hand arrived in Star City, ready to go on the hunt for its prey.**

**Before we go into it, I need to admit that originally, I planned to do the episode we've now reached, 3x04, in two chapters, but considering the length I've got it to, and also because I've been gone for three weeks, thanks both to some problems IRL, one of them a little medical condition that I needed to see about so badly, and which thankfully got sorted out in just a day or so, and plus that I often kept getting a lot of story chapters from other authors, your guys included when I say that, to catch up on, I've now decided to do it as a three parter and give you guys something to read.**

**So it may not be my best chapter so far, but hope you enjoy it all the same.**

**The hunt now begins in earnest, both sides seeking the same quarry, in the form of Malcolm Merlyn- on the one side, Team Arrow and Sara and Nyssa together with new friends Elektra and Stick; and on the other, the Hand led by Nobu Yoshioka, Shabah Al-Shaytan and Takeo Yamashiro. Which side will get to him first? We shall see.**

**So lets delve into part 1 of chapter 5. Feel free to review and let me know what you thought of it as usual**

* * *

"Alright, so where do we start on finding Merlyn?" Roy asked Sara.

Sara sat down on the edge of one of the computer tables and brought up her right leg. Taking a knife, she cut the stitches on a small narrow flap cut into the material of her boot, opened it and brought a small rolled up sheet of paper. "With this," she said, holding it up for everyone else to see as she jumped off the table, handing it to Oliver who was nearest. He unrolled it, his brow furrowing in confusion as he saw...

"Nothing," he said puzzled. He looked to Sara, "It's blank."

"Do you have a flame?" Nyssa asked. Oliver, Roy, Thea, Laurel and Felicity all looked in her direction. "It needs to be heated to reveal what's on it," Nyssa went on. Felicity walked off.

"Of course," Stick realized, "Ghost ink." His head turned towards Nyssa also. "A very clever little trick used by your bruvs and sisters in black, Nyssy, the Hand also, to send secret little messages to one another without the risk of what's on the paper being obtained by the enemy," he said to her.

"Yes, Stick," Nyssa confirmed in a measured tone, "You are correct in the description."

"My father had a notebook with writing like that too," Oliver added, also remembering where he'd seen the ink type before himself.

"The one he recieved from Merlyn I assume, right, Ollie?" Sara percieved, earning a nod from Oliver in response.

"Got it," Felicity said, returning with a bunsen burner.

Sara nodded. "Perfect. Thanks, Felicity," she said, taking it from the other woman.

Once the instrument was hooked up to a gas source on another work table and then switched on, with everyone gathered round waiting expectantly Sara held the sheet of paper over the flame emitting from it, and within just moments lines of writing had appeared as if by magic on the front. She looked to Oliver and nodded, and he switched off the bunsen burner.

Sara passed the note to Laurel, who read it briefly before turning to her sister with wide eyes and a slightly dropped open mouth. "You were gonna reach out to dad about this?" she asked somewhat incredulously, as Sara took the note back and held it out to Roy who took and looked at it himself. Sure enough, the two words 'Dad, help' had been written down ending with a question mark.

Sara turned to her older sister, laying a hand on her arm. "He doesn't know about it, Laurel, don't worry," she assured Laurel, "Until when Elektra did what she did, I was very much considering reaching out to him to help with the matter. Now we don't need to, not when we have all the resources we need all around us. Besides," her other hand now came up to rest on Laurel's other arm, "Considering the heart condition you told me he's now got, if we burden him with this, and the fact that Merlyn is alive..." She broke off, not finding the right words to continue with, and Laurel nodded in understanding, knowing that the 'resources' Sara meant by were of course their second family in Team Arrow, and also of course Nyssa, Stick and Elektra.

(**Small note: Sara didn't go to Quentin about the priest, Jansen, hence the reason for her just spoken words**)

"Jansen," Thea spoke up, she now holding the note. She looked to Sara, herself just as puzzled as her brother and boyfriend by the name. "Who's that?" she asked.

"Ken Zhi Jansen, Thea sweety," Stick answered, everyone looking to him again, "I've heard of him. A Buddhist monk, facing deportation charges to China nine years ago till Merlyn bankrolled the monky boy's defense. And in return, Jansen offered his monastery as a place of asylum to Merlyn." He looked between Sara and Nyssa. "I'm afraid to say you won't be seeking any info from him now, love birds," he continued, speaking directly to the two League women, "Poor bugger passed away the year before last." Then he focused again on everyone else as well with his next words, "But if his name's down on Sara birdy's lovely little paper slip, I'm willing to bet the place is still in full use as a sanctuary by Merlyn himself."

"Well then, what're we still standing here talking about it for?" Roy asked, looking between them all, "Let's go and get him."

"No," Oliver said. Roy was about to argue back, but Oliver shook his head. "We will find him, but you're taking the night off, you and Thea." He now turned to his sister, "You two have been without each other for long enough, Speedy, and if it wasn't for Elektra and Stick we would never have found you again in the first place. Plus," he nodded to her baby bump, "You should also consider discussing plans in advance to prepare for when your new addition comes into the world."

Thea chuckled and nodded. "A good point, Ollie," she said. She looked to her boyfriend, "Roy?"

Roy thought, then shrugged and nodded. "I guess you're right," he agreed. And with a big grin on her face, Thea had moved around her brother and was at Roy's side almost immediately, slipping her hand into his which Roy obliged back by squeezing it in his.

"Let's go," he said to her, and together the two of them ascended the steps out of the lair, Oliver, the Lance sisters, Felicity and Nyssa watching them do so with proud smiles of delight of their own, Stick remaining as blank faced as ever.

"And what's your orders for us, Oliver?" Nyssa asked.

Oliver smirk grinned. "Suit up. Let's go get Merlyn," he said. He was met with additional nods and smirk grins from Sara and Nyssa and they left to change.

"Don't forget..." Felicity began.

"I know," Oliver finished, knowing what she was about to say. He brought his phone out of his pocket, found John's number and pressed it, bringing the phone to his ear.

* * *

John felt his phone vibrate in his back trouser pocket, the ring tone extremely thankfully a quiet buzz, and he reached in for it. Behind him, Lyla placed newly named baby Elektra back into her cradle, adult Elektra herself proudly watching her do so standing at her side.

Seeing whose name it was onscreen, John pressed the answer button and raised it to his ear. "Hey, man," he said, "What's up?"

"_We have a possible location on Merlyn's whereabouts_," Oliver spoke from the other end, "_We're heading out now, that is me, Sara, Nyssa and Stick. I've sent Roy and Thea home for some quality catch-up time_."

John nodded. "I get it," he said, he too agreeing with Oliver's decision, "I'm on my way."

"_No_," Oliver said, "_I told you, you've done enough for one day in helping us out in Corto with Thea and that ARGUS bastard Shaw. You can sleep in your bed with Lyla tonight. Is Elektra still with you though_?"

John nodded, "Sure is." He grinned as he spoke the next words, "She now proudly shares her name with the littlun, me and Lyla's own personal honourable choice for what she did for us by saving Sara."

"_Wow, that's wonderful indeed_," Oliver replied, his own pride clear in his voice, "_Well done, John_."

John grinned even more. "I'll pass you over," he answered back simply and made his way over to his girlfriend and Elektra, who turned as they heard him approach. "Oliver wants you, Elektra," John said to her, holding out the phone. Elektra took it and walked away a few steps so as not to awaken her baby self.

"Oliver?" she said into the phone.

"_Sara has a location as to where Merlyn could be hiding here in Starling, Elektra_," Oliver explained, "_Stick helped a bit also_."

"I'm on the way," Elektra replied instantly, answering what she knew he was going to ask her.

"_Thanks, Elektra_," Oliver said. Elektra could picture him relaxing in relief at the other end of the line, "_See you shortly_." He rang off.

Elektra returned to John and Lyla, passing John back his phone. "We've found Merlyn," she said, turning to Lyla as she said it, "At least, we have a lead on where his Starling City hidey hole could be, so we're heading there to check it out for ourselves."

Lyla nodded. "Go get him," she said, "Make him suffer for what he almost made Thea do to Sara."

Elektra nodded, also giving a smirk grin. "Oh you can safely bet on us doing exactly that," she agreed smugly. And with a final hug between Lyla and John each, Elektra departed from the flat.

* * *

"So, Baby Elektra, huh, eh, Ollie?" Sara said as she and Nyssa, now dressed once again in their separate outfits and with their weapons to hand, Nyssa her bow and arrows and sword, Sara her batons, re-joined them as Ollie finished changing into his Arrow outfit. The two of them had of course heard Oliver's word over the phone with John.

He nodded, a smile on his lips. "I'm willing to bet that if the circumstances were much different, and Elektra hadn't gotten to you in time, they would be naming her after you, Sara," he said, filling his quiver with his green feathered arrows.

Sara nodded. "I can very well picture that myself too," she agreed with a serious tone, guessing full well what the other way could easily have been otherwise.

Nyssa laid a hand supportingly on her arm. Sara turned to see the brunette giving her a smile of her own. "It's the best and loveliest choice Mr Diggle and Miss Michaels could've come up with, beloved," Nyssa said, "I played my own part in thanking Elektra for her deed when I presented her with her sais."

Sara nodded, "That you did, Nyssa, that you did." The two women leaned towards each other and shared a quick kiss on the lips.

"Ready?" Oliver asked them, spinning his Oneida Kestrel bow in his hand.

Sara and Nyssa both nodded. "Corto was the last time Merlyn slipped through our hands," Nyssa said, a more dangerous, slightly chilling, edge to her voice now, "This time, he does not escape."

"Alive or dead, with or without his head, we're bringing him in," Sara further agreed.

Oliver nodded, then turned to Stick. "Stick?" he asked.

The old man nodded too, his Katana in its sheath back on his belt. "Well what're we waiting for, eh, kid? Christmas?" he asked as cool as ever, the words prompting Laurel and Felicity to cover their mouths as giggles of laughter escaped from them. Sara and Nyssa were also struggling to hold back from doing the same themselves. "Let's go get the bastard," Stick concluded.

Oliver nodded, the answers from Sara, Nyssa and Stick enough to satisfy him. "Then let's move," he said. But before they all moved off, he looked briefly to Felicity and Laurel, who both nodded, Laurel coming forward to hug him.

"Make him pay for everything, Ollie," Laurel said as they embraced, "Your mother, Thea, yourself. Every one of them, let him experience the pain he's caused you all for himself, and us almost for trying to kill Sara." They came apart and Oliver nodded, laying his hands on her arms as he looked into her eyes.

"We will," he said softly, "I promise you that with every fibre of my being." Laurel nodded, and then turned and went over to Sara, hugging her too.

"I think Ollie's said it all before you ask, sis," Sara remarked, she and Laurel giggling at her words before letting each other go, and then, with Oliver leading the way, he, Sara, Nyssa and Stick ascended the stairs, through the door at the top and out into the empty nightclub of Verdant.

As soon as the last of them, Stick, had done so, Elektra appeared, entering at jogging pace, breathing heavily. "Ah, good timing, Elektra," Oliver nodded, giving her a small reassuring smile, "Ready to go?" Elektra nodded, not needing to say anything in reply.

"Lead the way, Stick," Oliver ordered, the old man nodding in acknowledgement without a word being said. And together, with Stick now at the head, the five of them made their way out of Verdant.

* * *

From their vantage point on one of the opposite rooftops closest to the foundry where the nightclub, and of course the team's secret base of operations, were both located, four ninjas of the Hand watched as the three vigilantes, the Black Sky and the blind Chaste warrior, all bearing their different weapons, made their appearance, Queen, Ra's Al Ghul's daughter and the Canary girl suited up in their separate outfits.

"_It looks as if we're in even more luck than Master Nobu and Shabah Al-Shaytan predicted_," one of the ninjas spoke in Japanese.

"_They've discovered the whereabouts of Al-Saher in this city_," another ninja said.

The first ninja nodded in agreement, "_And I think I know where it is exactly_." He turned to his comrades, pointing with his left finger between two of them. "_Report this to Master Nobu at once, he will want to know of this_." The two he had just addressed nodded and disappeared back the way they had come at a run, while ninja number one spoke again to number two, the other one apart from him who had said anything.

"_We will follow and keep them in sight until Master Nobu, Shabah Al-Shaytan and Master Dragon and the rest of our comrades in arms catch up with us_," ninja number one said.

"_Of course, brother_," ninja number two agreed, and together, as Oliver, Sara, Nyssa, Elektra and Stick headed off through the city on the ground, the two Hand warriors tracked them across the rooftops, making sure the five of them never left their sights.

* * *

The two ninjas who had departed from the scene re-entered the Hand's new base, where all the rest of their comrades, now fully armed and ready with either bows and arrows or swords, masks pulled down over their faces as usual, awaited, lined up in neat ranks. Nobu, Shabah Al-Shaytan and the three Yamashiros, Takeo and the twins, stood in front of the whole army. The two ninjas who just returned approached and knelt down on one knee before them, bowing their heads.

"_What news do you bring, fellow warriors_?" Nobu asked them, as usual speaking in Japanese. His two lead followers now wore their different outfits: Takeo his red and black leather suit with the golden dragon displayed on the front, swords in their sheaths on his back; Shabah Al-Shaytan his League of Assassins attire, bow in hand, sword on his belt, arrows in quiver. The twins as usual wore the same as the other Hand soldiers.

"_Very good news indeed, Master Nobu_," one of the returnees answered, " _It would seem that Al-Sahim has discovered a lead on the whereabouts of Al-Saher. He, along with Shabah Al-Shaytan's half sister, her lover, Black Sky and the Chaste warrior are headed to it as we speak_."

Nobu and the other two men looked between each other, sharing looks, before turning back. "What of my paternal half and her man Harper, and of Diggle?" Shabah Al-Shaytan asked.

"_Your paternal half-sister and her boyfriend departed from Al-Sahim's nightclub a few mintues in advance, Shabah Al-Shaytan,_" the second returnee replied in answer, "_They have not returned since. It is the same with the man called Diggle, Black Sky returned from his living quarters alone, meaning he has stayed behind with his family_."

Nobu, Shabah Al-Shaytan and Takeo all smirked and nodded in satisfaction. "I think I know very well where it is that Queen and his friends are heading to," Shabah Al-Shaytan said, addressing the words to Nobu and Takeo and looking between them as he did so, "My position within the League, as well as my mother's resources with the Hidden, have allowed me to learn of every one of my father's secret little places in different places around the world, here in Starling included, where he can go to to hide."

"Then you shall lead the way, _shaqiq sharik_," Takeo said, Nobu nodding his agreement before turning to the rest of the Hand army behind them.

"_Move out_," he commanded, and pulled a black bandana up over the lower half of his face. Then, with Shabah Al-Shaytan in the lead, Nobu and Takeo and the twins right behind him, the rest of the Hand following, the entire army headed out of their new base.

* * *

Roy opened the door to his house in the Glades and lead Thea inside. "Not done very much to it while I've been gone, I see," Thea remarked jokingly as she looked around the familiar space.

"Well, what was there to do?" Roy answered just as humouredly as he closed the door, "Queen Mansion's gone, Dig's got his place now full with him and Lyla and their new addition-"

"Wait wait," Thea cut him off. His mention of her family's old home had shocked her, "What d'you the Mansion's gone?" Roy looked down and sighed sadly. "Roy, tell me. What happened to it?"

Roy lead her to her sofa and sat them both down, resting his hand on her knee. "You know those super-soldiers who attacked the city a few months ago before Malcolm took you away to Corto Moltese?" Thea nodded, "Well, the cult they were a part of, the Church of Blood-"

"As in Sebastian Blood?" Thea asked, remembering the man's surname.

Roy nodded. "The same," he confirmed simply and went on, "A guy called Clinton Hogue took over the mantle of Brother Blood, what Sebastian called himself when he was in charge of them himself, and the Church itself for a while and caused us a few problems, until we, that is me, Oliver, Dig and Felicity put an end to the Church, and I sent Hogue plumetting to his death from the helicopter he was trying to escape in after he and his followers had kidnapped Felicity and we, with the help of an... old friend of Oliver's, went to rescue her from a bunch of Bludhaven bastards he'd hired to kidnap her."

"But what does this have to do with the Mansion being destroyed?" Thea asked, referring to the first subject again.

Roy paused, gearing himself up for what he was about to tell her. Eventually, he was ready. "One of the members of the Church of Blood was a man called Caleb Green," he began.

Recognition came upon Thea's face. "Dad, that is Robert, me and Ollie's dad, had his father William Green in his company's services for a few years," she said, "He used to come round to the Mansion whenever a party or something was held."

Roy nodded. "Until your father's not quite as honest shady business dealings destroyed his career, effectively leading to his losing his job at Queen Consolidated," he explained, "Caleb, his son, swore revenge on Oliver for what Robert had done to his family, and joined the Church of Blood. Or rather, he was recruited into the Church by Clinton Hogue's second man, a guy called Abel, and was one of the ones to be injected with Mirakuru, the super-serum me and Slade Wilson and the other soldiers were all enhanced with before Oliver and the rest cured us all, before he killed Abel and escaped, disappearing for a while.

"After we took down the Church and killed Hogue, effectively leaving Caleb its last surviving member, he returned and ruthlessly attacked Oliver outside of Queen Consolidated until me and some SCPD cops arrived to intervene, though of course Caleb escaped.

"He then lured Oliver to Queen Mansion by kidnapping Laurel, and revealed his plan for revenge on Oliver by burning down the place with him and Laurel inside it."

Thea gave a small gasp, hand coming up over her mouth and she shook her head. "He didn't..." she began, voice muffled from beneath her hand.

Roy nodded, knowing he had to finish the tale. "He did, and brutally fought Oliver, who got out of the restraints Caleb had tied him up with, freeing Laurel as well, as the flames consumed all and the building collapsed all around them. He even managed to destroy the Mirakuru cure Oliver had brought along to inject him with, before debris from the Mansion collapsed on Caleb, impaling and severely wounding him. He succumbed to his injuries."

Thea found herself unable to hold back her tears, and Roy put his arm around her and brought her to him, hugging her close as she wrapped her own arms around him and sobbed, picturing in her mind her brother, dressed in his green vigilante outfit, battling a crazy madman wanting to kill him for a simple mistake done by their father, their family home being destroyed by the fire that he had started as they did so.

Gradually, Thea calmed and released Roy from her embrace, straightening back up and wiping away her tears. "We're certainly gonna need bigger digs for when our brand new addition comes into the world eventually," Roy told her, reaching out to rest his hand on her baby bump.

Thea nodded, holding his hand there with her own, enjoying the feel of his hand on her stomach and hers on top of his. "Very true," she said in agreement, looking round his space for a second time, "No room for a cot or changing diapers and playing around here, that's for sure." The two of them laughed at that.

"Do you have somewhere in mind?" Roy asked.

Thea nodded. "I think I may have," she said, "But that can wait till then. There's only one thing I wanna enjoy this evening." Roy raised an eyebrow, and Thea layed a hand on his cheek, looking deep into his eyes, "You." It was all Roy needed, and they came together, their lips meeting in a frenzy of kisses, hands pulling their t-shirts up and over their heads and throwing them away, Roy's hands going round Thea's back and unclasping her bra.

* * *

"Quite a picturesque place, I'll admit," Elektra remarked, looking round them at the darkened hedges and building structures of the Asian garden they were now walking through, the typical sort for the white wall painted building their group was approaching.

"And you're sure this is the place Merlyn uses for his retreat here in Starling, Stick?" Oliver asked.

"As plain as hell you can see the tip of your nose with your seeing eyes I'm sure, kid," Stick answered back.

"We should split up, divide our forces and take up flanking positions," Nyssa said suggestively. Sara nodded.

Oliver did so too. "You two go one way," he told them. He turned to Stick and Elektra, "Stick, you and-"

"I'm going with Sara and Nyssa," Elektra cut in, her tone of voice making it very clear to Oliver she was in no mood for an argument. Before Stick could get a word off himself, Elektra looked over to him herself. "Don't even try and talk me out of it, old man," she addressed Stick just as dangerously, "I'd prefer the company of my friends to an old excuse of a stickler like you."

Stick shrugged. "Whatever you say, Ellie," he replied simply. Nyssa and Sara smiled, both of them happy at hearing Elektra's decision.

Oliver nodded, he too pleased with Elektra for what she'd just said. "Go with Sara and Nyssa then, Elektra," he told her again, earning a nod from the other woman. Again, Oliver looked to Stick. "I'm sure you know what to do yourself without me needing to say it for you, Stick," he said. Stick nodded, and that was all Oliver needed. "Lets go," he said loudly. With that, the five of them headed off, splitting in three directions, the women trio to the left, Oliver continuing straight ahead, and Stick going right, all of them silently making their way through the monastery like real ghosts, searching for their elusive quarry.

* * *

Unbeknowst to them, a bat, which had been hanging from the end of a branch of one of the far off trees to their right, its nose and ears twitching as it watched them go, released its hold on the twig and with a rapid beating of its wings flew off into the darkness... and alighted a few seconds later on the left shoulder of Shabah Al-Shaytan, and close to his ear, its tiny claws digging into the material of his League uniform.

The second he felt it do so, the scar faced man emitted some low echo location like clicks, communicating with the bat. The two of them exchanged what would have been described, if anyone else would even have dared to say it out loud in the first place, a weird conversation with each other for about half a minute, using a combination of clicks and squeaks to do so.

Eventually, Shabah Al-Shaytan nodded, and turned to Nobu who was standing on his right. Takeo Yamashiro was on his left, Reiko and Yuki on either side of the three men. The Hand, which now included the two scouts who had trailed the three vigilantes, Elektra and Stick all the way to the monastery before the rest had caught up with them, was gathered behind them, weapons out, waiting for their orders.

"They're here," Shabah Al-Shaytan said, looking between Nobu and Takeo as he did so with a smug grin, "Just as we predicted."

Nobu nodded, giving a smug grin of his own. Then he looked behind him and quietly, making sure to keep his voice low so as not to alert anyone in the vacinity as to their presence, snapped out a command in Japanese. At once, the ranks of Hand warriors moved as one, heading past the three men and the twins into the garden area of the monastery, making sure to stay within the cover of the shadows as they spread out all around.

"I think a little style as to when we make ourselves known to the enemy can be added to the occasion," Shabah Al-Shaytan said to his fellow leaders.

Nobu nodded. "A very considerable thought indeed, Shabah Al-Shaytan," he said in agreement. Takeo also nodded.

"Do you have something in mind as to how, _shaqiq sharik_?" he asked the League man.

Shabah Al-Shaytan's smirk grew a bit more, the glee on his face also. "Yes. I think I very well do," he answered. With that, he closed his eyes, tilted his head back a little and gave off the high pitched noise he had used in the Crescent Order temple in Japan, once, then twice. He dropped his head down to level straightness again, and opened his eyes. Once again, they were glowing yellow.

The bat resting on his shoulder now suddenly launched itself off and disappeared once again into the darkness, and now they could all hear many many wings sounding out from behind them, growing in volume with every second that passed.

"Let the challenge... Begin!" Takeo remarked, knowing full well what it was.

* * *

After a couple of minutes, as Stick stopped before an open doored room, sword held before him, grip clutched in both hands, his senses told him he had found exactly they were looking for- the target was sitting crossed legged, back towards Stick, on a red square leather cushion in front of a map of some sort, some candles burning in stands behind him.

Smirking to himself, Stick took a couple of steps inside. "Peek-a-boo, Malcy boy," he said. The man before him didn't respond. "You really didn't think we'd find this place, did you?" Stick went on. Now, the man did respond, gently kicking his legs out in front of him and straightening up into a standing position, allowing Stick to see that he was dressed in long black robes.

The man turned round to face Stick, showing himself indeed to be Malcolm Merlyn. "Hello again, Stick," he snarled in pure hatred. The full reward of Stick's blows landed on him earlier that day could be seen very plainly in the mass of bruises that covered his face. His lips were swollen, and one of his eyes was surrounded by the blackness of a bruise.

Within seconds, Oliver, Sara, Elektra and Nyssa, all of them having heard the words spoken by both men, were at Stick's sides, Oliver and Nyssa with arrows notched and raised in their bowstrings, Elektra with her sais out, Sara with her bo-staffed batons held tightly in both hands. "Well done, Stick," Sara said sneeringly at seeing their prey before them and at their mercy once again.

"My pleasure, Sara luv," Stick answered.

"Still looking a bit worse for wear, I see, eh, Merlyn?" Elektra asked just as sneeringly as Sara, gesturing to Malcolm's face with a head nod.

"Thanks to your blind old friend, Miss Natchios," Malcolm spat back, the hatred still very plain in his voice.

"Not counting in the ones I did so myself, or my beloved and Elektra, are we, Al Sa-her?" Nyssa asked humouredly.

"It's over, Malcolm," Oliver growled menacingly, stepping forward so that he was slightly past Stick, "You will pay for all that you've done, and especially to Thea."

"And you'll be pleased to know, Malcy boy, that the penny's dropped," Stick took over, "That is to say, Thea sweet now knows everything, yes, _everything_\- that her brother is the man in the green hood, her boyfriend and Johnny boy Diggle are his fellow operatives, who Sara birdy and Nyssy and me and Ellie are... the full works." He smirked, "No need for all the petty lies and manipulations with her now."

Malcolm's whole upper body heaved up and down as he fought to barely contain his rage. Then his left hand came up and then down. A bang, a flash of white light and a plume of smoke, and then...

"Another fucking flashbang grenade," Elektra swore bitterly. To her, Oliver, Sara, Stick and Nyssa's anger, Malcolm was no longer in front of them.

"Where is he?" Nyssa half shouted. Oliver whirled round.

"There," he said. The others spun round and saw Malcolm running off, climbing onto one of the building structures a few metres away. He turned round and laughed at them briefly, satisfied in thinking he was about to make yet another clean getaway.

"Not this time, Malcy," Stick roared and pushed his way past Sara, Nyssa and Elektra, his feet carrying him at great strides across the garden towards Malcolm. Malcolm's amused expression turned to one of fear and anger, and with a single curse in Arabic he jumped down to the ground and set off at a run, pursued close at hand by Stick, Oliver right behind him, Sara, Nyssa and Elektra bringing up the rear side by side with each other.

And then, just as Stick came within range of Malcolm's back with his Katana sword, all six of them were blinded as a great flock of bats, several hundred or thousand strong, materialized without warning out of the darkness and surrounded them, blotting out everything around them so much that even Malcolm couldn't see either the way ahead or to either side, the sound of their beating fluttering wings drowning out everything.

Everyone halted where they were, Stick and Nyssa swiping at the bat filled air with their swords, Oliver using his bow to do so, Elektra her sais, Sara her batons, Malcolm doing nothing but try to protect his unprotected face with his hands. Stick, Nyssa and Elektra's blades killed a few bats, but did very little next to nothing to deter the immense swarm.

And then, in an instant the bat swarm ended, the natural surroundings returning to the three men and women's eyesight. And not only that. As the last of the bats disappeared, they now saw several dozen warriors clad in black and red, faces concealed by masks with only their eyes showing, surrounding them on either side and behind, all of them armed with swords or bow and arrows, their blades and arrows pointing and aimed straight at them.

"The Hand," Nyssa said bitterly, enraged to find herself, her lover, their friends and their target surrounded by the soldiers of the centuries old enemy of her father and the League.

"Got it in one, daughter of Ra's Al Ghul," a man's voice spoke in Japanese accented English from somewhere out in front of them. Then, Nobu Yoshioka appeared, twirling his _kyoketsu-shoge_, a lethal double edged blade with second attached curved near-the-hilt blade on the end of a chain ending in a large metal ring, the most favourite and preferred battle weapon for the ninjas, in his right hand as he stopped in front of them.

"Well hello, Nobu," Stick said. He sounded as if he was almost pleased to see the Japanese man. "Not quite as dead as first thought to be when Matty set you on fire in that Hell's Kitchen warehouse then, I see," he added.

Nobu smirked. "Indeed not, Master Chaste warrior," he said to Stick, "And not just me." Takeo Yamashiro now came into view, holding his two swords, the twins with him, and stood himself at Nobu's left side. Reiko remained next to him while Yuki moved round Nobu to stand at his right.

Takeo fixed his gaze completely on Oliver. "Greetings, Oliver Queen," he said. His teeth were bared as he spoke the words, the hatred fire in his eyes burning at high volume, "You may not know me at all, but you know of my brother and sister in law, Maseo and Tatsu, and my nephew, Akio."

Oliver's mouth dropped open a little, his eyes wide and staring in shock. "Yamashiro?" he breathed, the memories of Hong Kong, of the family he had met thanks to being forced into ARGUS employment by Amanda Waller and had become almost like family himself to, of General Shrieve, the Alpha-Omega, of Akio Yamashiro, the little boy he had formed a brotherly type bond with, dying from it, all coming back like a flashflood.

Takeo went on before he could. "My name is Takeo Yamashiro, or Golden Dragon as my fellow Hand brothers call me," he explained, "And I intend to make good on you a promise I made to myself a while ago."

Before Oliver could respond to Takeo's words, his attention, and that of Sara, Nyssa, Elektra, Stick and Malcolm was drawn by the arrival of a third man who appeared from behind Nobu and Takeo, sporting dark shoulder length hair and a jagged scar down his left cheek, dressed in League of Assassins attire, a PSE AD Compound bow held in his hand. The two Japanese men, without needing to turn around to see him first before doing so, both took one step sideways, allowing him to step between them.

"You." The single word had been echoed by Malcolm, Nyssa and Sara, all three of them displaying the greatest shock out of everyone there.

"Greetings, all," Shabah Al-Shaytan said, looking between them and Oliver, Elektra and Stick.

"Son?" Malcolm gasped, still unable to comprehend who he was seeing in front of him.

The scar faced League man looked towards him, "And you too, father." He spat the last word out in as much vile a tone as he could muster, his own hatred appearing on his face. Then his face turned to Nyssa and Sara. "And you also, half-sister, and Ta-er Al-Sahfer," he finished.

* * *

**And there we are. Hope you enjoyed and feel free to review as usual.**

**The explanation on how Queen Mansion got destroyed, in Roy and Thea's section, I borrowed from the Arrow 2.5 comics, and I also have the Wikia pages to help with it too. Hope it was decent and good enough.**

**Takeo's little four word line I've taken from my favourite British television children's show Raven, and which is still one I love watching very much to this day. The words, used just before the beginning of a new game challenge throughout the episodes, are spoken by the main character, who is himself called Raven.**

**Now I face a bit of a small dilemma. I was planning to have Tatsu and Kyle Tamuro make their return to the story a bit later on in this episode when Thea gets kidnapped, which itself will be slightly different to how it goes in the real episode. But because of where I've now ended this first parter, and also the fact that thanks to having recently watched and enjoyed the 2013 X-Men movie The Wolverine, in which Tatsu, or at least her actress Rila Fukushima, stars in herself, for the first time, I'll be having two characters from that film accompanying them to Star City, I now politely ask you guys for a helpful choice: would you like them to come in next chapter to help save the team from the wrath of the Hand and the three big guys Nobu, Takeo and Shabah Al-Shaytan; or wait for Thea's kidnapping to happen before they do so? Of course, it'll be my overall decision in the end, but having some some other people's thoughtful opinions will help me.**

**Hope you also caught on the one or two new added hints on who Shabah Al-Shaytan really is. And like with Tatsu and Kyle, I originally planned for his true name to be revealed later on, but considering where next chapter will begin, it might very well be done right here. Like before, please feel free as to take a guess at it, but don't accidentally or deliberately say it in reviews. It will come.**

**Next chapter will hopefully be quicker incoming, I've no intention whatsoever for dreadfully long gaps in-between updates, having had so much inspiration for this project from buddy Aragorn II Elessar that is NOT an intented thing to happen.**

**So until then, adios amigos from Flashraven.**


	6. Chapter 6- 3x04, The Magician, part II

**I do not own Arrow, Daredevil or any of their characters.**

**Thank you as always to Bl4ckHunter, buddy Aragorn II Elessar and Elsie/Ladyawesome45321 for the reviews to last chapter, which as I said may not have been the best so far but my A/Ns at the beginning and end say the reasons for it.**

**So before we start, my deepest apologies once again for being away for more than a month, some problems IRL, several annoying cases of ear infection being the big ones, but also there being some stuff I really wanted to catch up with on TV also, got in the way over the last weeks, and plus on some days I didn't feel in the mood for writing for whatever reason. But I can very happily tell you now that I'm all recovered now and back in the story writing mood, and ready to get back into this.**

**Last time, Oliver, Sara, Nyssa, Elektra and Stick located the whereabouts of Malcolm Merlyn and gave chase, only to find themselves surrounded by the might of the Hand, with Nobu Yoshioka, Shabah Al-Shaytan and Takeo Yamashiro at the head. And Thea and Roy enjoyed some much long awaited reunion time with each other.**

**And on that note, the second part of chapter 5, episode 3x04, The Magician, begins. Will our heroes and Malcolm escape the Hand and the three men who lead it? Let's find out. As always, feel free to review and let me know what you thought of it**

* * *

Oliver found himself literally stunned into total silence and stillness at Malcolm and the scarred man's words, and for a long while he didn't respond. Eventually though, he overcame his reaction and spoke.

"Malcolm. Nyssa. Sara." The three of them turned to him as Oliver looked between and addressed them all, "Who is this guy?"

"He's called Shabah Al-Shaytan, Ollie," Sara answered, "It means-"

"The Ghost Demon," Nobu cut in, answering for Sara as she, Nyssa, Malcolm and Oliver took in his direction. Underneath his black bandana, the Japanese man's gleeful smirk had grown bigger, "But to Al Sa-her here, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul and Ta-er Al-Sahfer, and the Demon's Head himself, he is also known as-"

"Saracon," Shabah Al-Shaytan now spoke, "Of the Ashkiri Tribe." Left hand still holding his bow, he now drew his Scimitar sword, slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, from its sheath on his belt with his right. "The son of my League master's traitorous Horseman right here..." he went on, now pointing with his sword towards Malcolm, the hatred still as thick as ever in his words, "...and of Lourdes, mother to both me..." his arm swung to the left, so that his blade was pointing at Nyssa, "...and my darling half-sister there."

Oliver, still totally unable to fully take in just what he was hearing, moved his eyes to Malcolm. "I thought Tommy was your-" he began.

"Tommy was my second son," Malcolm answered before Oliver could finish the full sentence. A expression of pain at reliving the memories of Tommy passed briefly over his face, then he turned back to look at Shabah Al-Shaytan, or Saracon. "This man standing before us is my first, from my previous life," he added, not taking his attention off of Saracon for a second as he did so.

"'Previous life?'" Elektra asked. Now she, Nyssa, Sara and Oliver were just as much confused as the other, not even the two League women having any clue whatsoever as to Malcolm's words.

"Malcolm Merlyn is who you and everyone else knows me as, Miss Natchios, because that's what I've been calling myself for about the last three decades," Malcolm explained. He sighed, "Ever since the temple."

"What temple?" Oliver demanded.

"Before I became Malcolm Merlyn, I was Arthur King," Malcolm began, "I joined an organization, when I was only nineteen and serving in the Air Force Academy at the time, called the Hidden when a treasure of theirs that I owned once upon a time was stolen from my residence in London by one of their agents. That agent, the one who stole from me, was a woman who I developed feelings for, and seduced. Her name-"

"Is Lourdes," Saracon interrupted, the venom and hatred as strong as ever when he spoke, his hand tightening more on the grip of his sword. He moved his head slightly to the left, towards Nyssa again. "But to you, half-sister, she has another name." His mouth formed a gleeful smirk, and beside him Nobu's eyes twinkled. "Amina Raatko," Saracon finished.

At hearing her mother's name, Nyssa felt as if she had been punched at full force in the stomach, and Sara turned to her, her face full of concern at seeing her lover's reaction. "Mother," Nyssa breathed. Sara reached out and layed a hand very tentitively on Nyssa's shoulder. The other woman flinched at the touch and Sara drew her hand away instantly, but Nyssa reached for it with her own and she and Sara held onto each other tightly.

"Yes, Nyssa," Malcolm said, a slight touch of something which might have sounded like regret, but which Oliver wasn't prepared to believe for the moment, in his voice, "Your mother, Saracon's mother, was rescued by your father Ra's Al Ghul, who saved her from the leopard spirits in the temple by sacrificing Darius in her place, and took her as his concubine."

Stick now shook his head, while expressions of first shock and then the purest in all the world hatred came upon the faces of Nyssa, Sara and Elektra. Even Oliver couldn't hold back his own disgust. "You pathetic ignorant selfish pig of a bastard," Stick growled, addressing the words to Malcolm.

"I should've plunged my sai into your eye when I had the chance back in Corto Moltese," Elektra almost shouted, not afraid to display the same amount of thick hatred Sara and Nyssa were both struggling to hold back, both of them not caring for the moment that they, Oliver, Elektra, Stick and Malcolm were all surrounded by warriors of the Hand, any of whom could cut them down at just a moment's excuse if they made a move that wasn't liked.

"Who's Darius?" Oliver asked, his hands shaking very slightly from gripping his bow and notched arrow so tightly he could have snapped any one of them.

"A traitor who was a member of the Hidden, Al Sa-Him," Saracon now took up, looking to and speaking to Oliver as he spoke, "But was also one of those who serve my master Ra's, the good old League themselves."

"The League..." Oliver breathed.

Saracon nodded. "Yes. They were there too that night all those years ago, searching for the same treasure we of the Ashkiri ourselves were seeking from the temple in order to keep from falling into the enemy's hands. But father here..." his sword and hate filled face swung back once again to Malcolm, "...had other ideas."

On Saracon's right, Nobu nodded and turned to the League man. "It is too bad really that your mother's people's old leader Ibadan never saw through the lies Al Sa-her fed him, claiming he had no idea about the Ashkiri before he joined them, when in fact he well and truly did know all about it and was using every single piece of gained knowledge in order to find the temple and its treasure for himself, to line his greed ladened pockets with its wealth and value," he said to Saracon, "Until it was too late, and the traitor Darius had destroyed your camp and most of your fellow Hidden members."

Saracon nodded. "That is true to the maximum, Master Nobu," he muttered.

"Care to tell us the rest of it, Saracon?" Sara hissed, spitting out the words, so great still was her rage, as well as Nyssa's.

Saracon sneered. "As if I wouldn't, dearest Canary," he replied, which he then obliged, "Father and mother found the temple and got inside, persued by and eventually evading the guardian spirits of the temple, in the form of two snow leopards, until they reached the heart of the temple itself." Saracon took a step forward so that the tip of his sword blade actually now rested on the skin of Malcolm's neck. To the scarred League man's inner delight, he could see the persperation growing on his father's skin, and the fear building in his eyes despite his efforts to remain impassive and defiant. "Within which lay the real prize you were seeking all along, eh, father?"

When Malcolm didn't answer, Saracon looked to Oliver, and then Nyssa, Sara, Elektra and finally Stick. "The tomb of the gods who bestowed upon me the powers I now pocess within my body. The chamber of the secret waters," he said.

"A Lazarus Pit..." Elektra realized at last.

"Correct," Takeo Yamashiro nodded, speaking for the first time in several minutes. He too now turned to Malcolm. "Why don't you tell them the rest, Malcolm?" he asked casually.

With Saracon's blade still resting against his neck, Malcolm took up the narrative again. "Lourdes... Amina discovered my true intentions for wanting the Lazarus waters, but I convinced her that my love for her was real. After which, I prepared to take a sample of the waters and also extract from an altar in the chamber's centre two powerful mystical relics said to be the hearts of the twin leopard gods of the Ashkiri myth, but then the leopard spirits caught up with us."

"And let me guess: you left her, my mother, _our_ mother, there, at the mercy of the spirits while you, the greedy uncaring coward and everything else that Stick very rightfully describes you as, made your escape from the place," Nyssa snarled, her entire facial expression seeming to be on fire, her mouth open, her breath and words hissing from between her tightly clenched bared teeth.

"That is indeed very precise, half sister," Saracon said, once again his own hatred returning, "But your father, and my master, Ra's, and the traitor Darius had followed them into the temple, and when the Demon's Head saw what the spirits were about to do to mother, he gave Darius up to them, thereby saving mother in the process."

"The rest you know," Nobu finished for them, nodding to Malcolm, "Thanks to the Magician's facts."

By now, Oliver, Sara, Nyssa and Elektra's bodies were heaving, their rage and hatred for Malcolm now having grown so much out of absorbing of what they had just learned that they all felt on the verge of exploding. Stick remained as blank faced and impassive as ever, but several breaths were emitted from his nose and a muscle throbbed at the corner of his mouth.

"So what now?" Oliver managed to breathe out at last.

Takeo smirked, but it was Nobu who answered Oliver's question.

"Now, you all die," Nobu said. "Except of course for the Magician..." he nodded to Malcolm, and then moved his head so that he was then looking towards Elektra, "...and it." He nodded a second time towards Elektra as he said the two new words.

Elektra raised her right sai. "Call me that again and I'll cut you in half, Mr Nobu," she snarled, her eyes blazing, mouth open and showing her clenched teeth.

"You and your Hand friends won't take me that easily, son," Malcolm added, addressing Saracon with just as much venom.

Saracon raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And makes you think that, father?" he asked with interest, as if he was actually interested anyway.

"Because he's coming back with us, _brother_," Nyssa now snarled, spitting out the last word with so much hatred that her face turned red briefly, and at the same time drew her Scimitar sword. Sara nodded, her lips pursed with her own rage, hands gripped so tightly around her bo-staff'ed batons she could've literally broken them.

"Your words are all very well and good," Nobu said, "But they won't do you much good against this." The words were obviously a signal, for the Hand warriors surrounding the group now tensed themselves, their bodies fully ready to literally spring into action and strike with their arrows or swords in the time it would take for someone to blink.

Then suddenly, from behind the warriors to their right, came a movement as something, or someone, it was impossible to tell for the moment which one applied, dropped down from above, and then came a squelching sound, the unmistakable sound of flesh being pierced, and then it sounded a second time, followed by a heavy thud.

At once, all the Hand warriors whirled round, Oliver, Stick, Elektra, Sara, Nyssa, Malcolm, Nobu, Saracon, Takeo and the Yamashiro twins looking in the same direction, the warriors parting sideways to the left and right allowing everyone a clear view of the source of the sudden disturbance: a masked individual, obviously female judging by its bodily figure, with a ninja sword in both hands, standing over the body of the Hand warrior she had just killed.

Oliver, Nyssa and Sara's eyes widened. "Rochev?!" the three of them echoed together at the same time at seeing that the new arrival was dressed in exactly the same suit and mask as had been worn by their old enemy, Oliver's company tormentor, and Slade's chief sidekick, Isabel Rochev aka Ravager.

The woman looked in their direction. "Well don't just stand there," she said. And at once, with just those few words, Oliver knew immediately that this _wasn't_ Isabel somehow back from the dead. They had been spoken in an Australian accent, and the woman's long ponytailed hair wasn't dark brown but blonde. And when he and Nyssa and Sara looked more closely, they could see that the Ravager suit she wore was not black but a dark blue, the colour on the right side of her mask being the same, a dark blue in place of the black.

The woman twirled her swords in her hands. "Kill somone," she told Oliver and his four comrades, and with that, she flip jumped in the air and landed among the Hand warriors, crossing her arms in front of her and thrusting them forward the same time, her sword blades going straight through and protruding out the back of two warriors' heads before they could react. Then she pulled them out, the bodies falling to the ground.

At once, everyone came to life. Several more Hand warriors charged at the Ravager suit clad woman, some firing arrows, she blocking, slashing and stabbing with her swords, taking down any warriors that got within her range, occasionally kicking out defensively also whenever she had to.

Oliver fired his arrow, hitting a Hand warrior in the back and bringing him down. Then as several more came at him, he got off four more arrows, hitting four warriors in the shoulder each, downing them, before using his bow to hit the remainder in the head, knocking them out.

Oliver's attention was then diverted fully towards Takeo Yamashiro, who came charging straight at him, striking down with his swords straight towards Oliver's head. Oliver brought his bow up, using it to block the Japanese man's attack, and together the two of them began fencing off against each other, Oliver using his bow both to block Takeo's sword swings and also to hit him whenever he got an opening.

Stick and Elektra got stuck in to the fray, Stick himself being nothing but a blur as he blocked, dodged and weaved out of the way of Hand warrior sword strikes before relieving them of their heads, or with either a thrust or slash to the chest or throat, with his Katana. Elektra however, being not quite as up to the fighting levels of her friends and Stick, had to endure the occasional one or more blows landed on her by a warrior with either his foot or fist while dodging and punching and kicking out at them herself, and using her sais to bring about either a stab through the eye or a slash to the throat.

Malcolm kicked downwards, his foot hitting the blade of a fallen warrior's sword and propelling the weapon into the air, two sword spinning a few times before Malcolm caught it and turned to face Saracon. "You want me, son?" he sneered, positioning himself into a classic martial arts stance, holding the sword up challengingly, "Here I am."

Saracon gave an amused sneering grin of his own, his eyes shining. "My pleasure, father," he said.

"So is mine," Nyssa added as she charged in as well, but before she could reach Malcolm the twins Reiko and Yuki Yamashiro moved to bar her way, the tips of their sword blades pointing straight at Nyssa's head.

Nyssa looked between them, the twins' faces blank and impassive. "I don't want to fight you, daughters of Tatsu," she told them calmly, knowing of course who they and their mother were.

As if in response, Nyssa's reward was a sharp side kick to the stomach from Reiko, before Yuki jumped, spun and landed a hooking kick with her left foot into Nyssa's face, sending Nyssa down onto her back, her Scimitar sword clanging to the ground.

"Nyssa." Seeing what had just happened, Elektra kicked another Hand warrior in the leg, bringing him down onto one knee, and dispatched him with a thrust through the skull with her right sai. Then she ran to aid Nyssa, springing up and propelling herself through the air, right leg outstretched, her foot landing in Reiko Yamashiro's chest, sending the twin staggering backwards. As Elektra landed back on her feet, she blocked a downwards swing from Yuki with both sais, and as Nyssa got back up again, sword back in hand, and moved towards Reiko, Elektra and Yuki began their own duel, sword and sai blades clashing together.

Sara found herself facing Nobu alone. The Japanese man pulled down his bandana with his left hand, allowing Sara to see his straight set expression and the burn wounds on the side of his face.

"Come and get me, Canary," he said invitingly, putting away his _kyoketsu-shoge_ as he did so.

"With pleasure," Sara sneered, and they both charged towards each other, Sara using her batons to knock away several red leather wrapped handled knives Nobu threw at her. When Nobu was close enough, Sara swung her batons at his head, but Nobu leapt high and twisted, swinging his right leg round in a powerful spinning hooking kick, his foot connecting with Sara's face, the force of the blow snapping Sara's face to the right and causing the young woman to stumble a couple of steps, Sara gasping from the impact of Nobu's hit as the Japanese man landed perfectly and effortlessly on the balls of his feet, immediately dropping down into a fighting stance, ready for his next move.

"Impressive," Nobu remarked to Sara as she recovered from the kick he landed and separated her batons from their bo-staff form so that she was holding one in both hands again, "But not good enough against the second man to Murakami." These next words he spoke in an almost goading tone of voice, as if deliberately taunting Sara.

Sara bristled. "And just who is this 'Murakami' you say of?" she asked.

Nobu smirked. "Oh you certainly don't want to know," he sneered. Sara came at him again, swinging both batons at his head, but Nobu ducked every single one and then leaned back and kicked out, planting his left boot in Sara's chest. Sara gasped and then came at Nobu again, but once again Nobu skillfully avoided her, shimmying to the side and then getting behind her, kicking out with his right leg, his boot crashing into Sara's back. In pain from both of Nobu's blows, Sara spun back round and tried coming at him again for the third try, but again the Japanese man got there first, spinning on the ball of his left foot and lashing out in a high side kick, Sara gasping as she felt her nose break, courtesy of Nobu's foot planting itself full square in her face. She fell down onto her side, batons falling out of her hands.

"You destroyed my family," Takeo snarled at Oliver as Oliver used his bow to block the red and black suit clad Japanese man's downwards strike with both his swords, "My nephew perished from the Alpha-Omega because of you."

"The fault of that belongs to Amanda Waller and General Shrieve," Oliver answered back, "Both are responsible for what happened in Hong Kong."

"Liar," Takeo said, his face reddening further from his rage, his eyes blazing. Oliver kicked Takeo in the leg, the blow enough to force the Japanese man to release the pressure on Oliver's bow with his swords. "You could've saved him," Takeo went on, swinging at Oliver again, the green clad archer ducking one swing and blocking the other with his bow, "You and my brother and sister-in-law had the cure in your hands."

"We had used the only three available samples there were of it on ourselves," Oliver growled just as angrily, "There was nothing we could do to save Akio once the virus got to him."

"Which only makes it worse for you," Takeo snarled still further, coming at Oliver again.

The number of Hand warriors was now reduced greatly, thanks to the swords of Stick and the Ravager woman, the dead bodies increasing still further as the two of them fought close to each other, dodging, kicking, slashing and stabbing as they fought, not one single warrior getting a hit in before being cut down.

Malcolm and Saracon were black blurs as they fought a Jack Sparrow/Hector Barbossa style fight, chasing and fighting each other all around the monastery garden, their swords clashing so hard against the other's that sparks flew, both men totally focused on each other ignoring, for the moment at least, the fighting commencing all around them by everyone else.

"I shall take great pleasure in listening to you scream as your skin is peeled away from your body," Saracon sneered at Malcolm, blocking another swing from the other man.

"By Mr Yoskioka?" Malcolm asked, not even asking the question seriously.

The sneering gleam in Saracon's face grew. "Even better," he answered, "By the one who you left to die to satisfy your own selfishness and greed, and who suffered afterwards for years at the hands of my half-sister's father."

Confusion, then surprise, and finally shock, passed over Malcolm's face, and his eyes widened. "No," he gasped, unable to help himself, "That can't be right."

Taking advantage of his father's stunned reaction, Saracon swung his sword arm up and down in a backwards slash, Malcolm yelling as Saracon's blade inflicted a fresh wound to his side. "Oh she is so alive alright," Saracon said, "And me and my colleagues in the Hand will deliver to you to her in person."

Hissing from the pain of the wound in his side, his rage returning once again, Malcolm swung wildly at Saracon again, the younger man once again expertly blocking him as they resumed their duel.

Nobu marched up to Sara as the blonde pulled herself onto her hands and knees, one hand nursing her broken nose, and delivered a downwards pushing kick to her head, forcing Sara back down again before reaching down to grab the shoulder of her black leather jacket and pull her back up, now using his free hand to land several powerful punches to the side of Sara's head, Sara gasping with each blow before Nobu then wrapped both his arms round her neck, pulled her up and then planted his knee hard in her chest before then twisting and using his body momentum to lift and throw Sara over him and back down to the ground. Sara lay where she was, the wind completely driven out of her.

Still engaging Takeo, Oliver observed everything around him as best he could while still holding out against the hatred driven Japanese man, defending and hitting at every chance he got.

Stick and the woman in the dark blue and orange Ravager outfit had done well, now having virtually killed a good half or so of the Hand force that had surrounded them in the first place, the rest, including some of the ones Oliver had taken out himself before Takeo began attacking him, now faltering, unsure of whether to continue the fight. Malcolm and Saracon were still very much dead-locked in their fierce father and son battle, though Sarcon had gained more of the upper hand thanks to wounding Malcolm in the side. Elektra and Nyssa and the Yamashiro twins were fighting just as intently, Nyssa and Elektra both jumping in to lend a hand to the other whenever one of them lost or seemed to be losing against their opponent.

But it was Sara who Oliver saw was in the most trouble thanks to her own opponent, Nobu. And maybe was what lit something inside Oliver, for as Takeo came at him again, Oliver jumped and spun, landing a perfect spinning hooking kick with his right foot into Takeo's face, snapping it to the right. Not giving the other man time to recover, as he landed back down Oliver spun round again, this time back kicking Takeo in the chest with his right foot before re-spinning a third time and swinging his left leg, sweeping Takeo's legs out from under him, sending him to the ground. Then to finish him off, Oliver kicked him in the face, dazing Takeo into half conciousness.

"Stick," Oliver called over to the blind Chaste warrior. Stick heard him and looked over, along with the Ravager woman. Oliver gestured in Nobu's direction with his bow. Stick nodded, and together, along with the blonde haired Ravager woman, he and Oliver charged towards Nobu.

However, like Oliver, Nobu, in his brief pause from attacking Sara, had also been watching the drama all around him, and had immediately taken stock of the situation. His fellow comrade Saracon and the twins were still doing good against the Magician, Ra's Al Ghul's daughter and the Natchios woman, but having seen, to his fury, half of their fellow warriors killed or wounded by the sightless Chaste warrior, the Natchios woman and the strange blonde woman, and Takeo downed by the Starling City vigilante, he knew, as much as he hated having to admit it to himself, that for now, the enemy was winning, and that would only increase further if Queen, the Chaste warrior and their companion got to him.

"Comrade Saracon," he called out in Japanese accented English, his voice loud and clear for all to hear, "A cover for our escape if you please."

Hearing Nobu's command, Saracon, still engaging Malcolm, knew, having also come to the same conclusion as Nobu, that the Japanese man was right. So as he blocked yet another swing from Malcolm, his sword blade pushing hard against the other man's blade, Saracon said to him, "Till we meet again, father" and performed his move, pushing forward with his body and sending Malcolm stumbling back, and then as Malcolm came at him again spun and elbowed him hard in the chest, then grabbed Malcolm's arm and flipped him over his body and down hard onto his back.

Not wasting a moment that wasn't necessary to be wasted, Saracon closed his eyes and emitted his whistle and echo location click noise, opened them again and made the noise a second time, his eyes once again glowing yellow.

Oliver, Stick and the Ravager woman stopped in their tracks when Saracon performed the first noise, Nyssa and Elektra pausing in their fight with Reiko and Yuki Yamashiro as well, but the moment Saracon finished the second time, and before any of them had time to do anything, the great cloud of bats which had surprised them many minutes ago suddenly and without warning appeared once again, blotting out everything around them, the rapid beating of their wings filling the air around them.

"Not again." Oliver heard Stick mutter the words from somewhere behind him, but for the moment he couldn't see either Stick or either one of his fellow vigilantes, nor of Nobu, Saracon, the twins, Takeo or Malcolm, the immense bat flock blinding him completely, his hands coming up to guard his face from the multitude of wings that were flapping in his face.

And then, just like that, the flock disipated, the natural surroundings of the monastery returning, revealing...

"Noooooooooo," Nyssa roared, for once again, Malcolm had used the opportunity, using the bats as his own smoke screen, just as Nobu, Saracon, Takeo, the twins and the surviving Hand warriors lucky to have escaped Oliver's arrows or the blades of Stick, Elektra and the Ravager woman had done, to escape.

Next to her, Elektra threw down her right sai in a fit of rage just as powerful as what Nyssa was currently showing, her teeth bared, eyes firey. "Curse you, Merlyn," she bellowed in no particular direction, "Curse you forever."

"Nyssa, Elektra, calm down," Oliver told them, his voice calm but hard. He had slung his bow under his arm and was kneeling next to Sara, helping her to sit up. "Come and help me with Sara," he added.

Hissing in and out several deep breaths through their teeth, bringing themselves back under control, Nyssa and Elektra put away their weapons, Elektra retrieving her sai from the ground in order to do so, and came over to join Oliver, Elektra kneeling at Sara's other side, Nyssa in front.

"Are you alright, beloved?" Nyssa asked in deep concern, running her hands over every inch of Sara, who Oliver and Elektra had now helped to sit up properly, checking for any possible big injuries. The blonde gasped loudly when Nyssa's hand ran over the left side of her face, which had now reddened and swollen thanks to Nobu's punches. Nyssa withdrew her hand instantly, a look of deepest concern on her face. Oliver and Elektra were also showing the same thing.

"Man that guy Nobu's one hell of a kicker," Sara said, chuckling along with Oliver and Elektra at the remark before they both helped her to stand, Sara wincing more as she now began the feel the full pain of the bruises rewarded to her by Nobu's fists and feet. Nyssa was beside her at once, draping Sara's right arm over her shoulders, her left going around her lover's waist. Elektra retrieved Sara's batons from where they had fallen when Nobu had thrown her back down.

"I could carry them for you if you would permit me to do so, Sara," Elektra said.

Sara nodded. "Thanks, Elektra," she said, giving her friend a small smile, returned, along with a single nod, by Elektra. Suddenly remembering something, Sara looked to Stick.

"I don't suppose you know who this Murakami that Nobu mentioned to me is, eh, Stick?" she asked him.

Stick nodded. "One of the five fingers of the Hand, Sara luv," he answered, as matter of factly as ever, "In your words, the elders, the head leaders. Murakami is the one to the Japanese branch of the Hand, the one who our good friend Nobu is currently serving as the head of."

"The ones you and your friends in the Chaste have been fighting in this so-called war of yours for years, let's not forget, old man," Elektra added, and quite harshly at that.

"Nobu said he was Murakami's second man," Sara said, remembering that also.

Stick nodded again. "That is correct," he said, "Murakami taught Nobu everything he can do, what you had the rather unfortunate pleasure of experiencing for yourself."

While Stick was explaining all this, Oliver had noticed that one other person was missing too. "Where is she?" he suddenly said. The rest turned to him, but then clocked on to what he meant, for the blonde dark blue and orange coloured Ravager suited woman was also nowhere to be seen. Like Malcolm and the rest, she must have used the cover of the bat swarm summoned by Saracon to flee the scene.

"Well we can count our mystery friend out as a foe, Oliver," Nyssa said, "Even if she did wear the outfit, barring the fresh colours for the moment, previously worn by Slade Wilson's sidekick Isabel Rochev. For she did help with taking out many of the opposition." She nodded at the many dead bodies which littered the ground.

Oliver nodded. "That indeed is correct without any doubt needed to be given, Nyssa," he agreed.

"But just who do you thin she could be, Ollie?" Sara asked, she as much as any of them still completely at a total blank as to just who their helper could be.

Oliver shook his head. "I guess we will find out the answer to that in time, Sara," he replied. He looked to her. "In the meantime, I think we should get you back to the lair and rest you up a bit," he added further, "And that nose needs seeing to as well."

"He is right, you know, Sara," Elektra nodded, agreeing with Oliver. No argument of any sort was given from Nyssa, Sara or Stick, and together, Oliver and Elektra leading the way, Stick protectively bringing up the rear, Nyssa still supporting Sara between them, the group made their exit from the monastery vicinity and set off back through the city for their secret base of operations, where Laurel and Felicity would hopefully still be waiting for them.

* * *

"So what now?" Saracon asked Nobu. The two of them, along with Takeo and the twins and their surviving Hand comrades, were now back in their secret base by the river, having of course successfully used the cover of the bat flocked summoned by Saracon's magic to make their escape and return to it before Team Arrow, the Natchios woman, the mystery Ravager suit wearing woman, and Saracon's father Malcolm himself could follow them.

The three men and the twins were alone together in the area of the warehouse Nobu had ordered no one else to approach unless important news was to be delivered, so that he and his closest followers could talk and discuss matters between them without being disturbed. Away from them, some of those Hand warriors wounded by Oliver's arrows, or unluckier by Stick or the Ravager woman's blades, were seeing to their wounds.

"It does seem that we have underestimated the enemy a little," Nobu said calmly.

"Hugely more like," Takeo growled, rubbing his jaw with a hand, courtesy of it being where Oliver had kicked him of course.

"I understand how much you hate Mr Queen for how the events in Hong Kong tore your family apart, Golden Dragon," Nobu addressed him, "But you mustn't let it blind you to our bigger objective, to why we're really here."

Takeo whirled on Nobu. "I made a promise to myself that I would make him suffer right down to his very soul for everything that he did," he snarled, the hatred returning to his face. Reiko and Yuki Yamashiro each took a small step back. "And I intend to, and _will_, uphold it," Takeo went on, jabbing his finger at Nobu, "And not even you are gonna stop me, _Masutā__ s__upurīmu_ (Master Supreme)."

Something deadly flickered in Nobu's eyes, and Saracon laid a hand on Takeo's arm. The Japanese man now turned to him. "I would feel the same way if I were in your position, s_haqiq sharik_," Saracon said to Takeo, "But Master Nobu is right. We and the Hand are here for my father, the best bargaining chip in the whole of our hundreds of years of war against Master Ra's and the League we could ever have been presented with. And we have also located Miss Natchios, the one of whom the Hand has been seeking to serve as the Black Sky for years now ever since she was a child. So for now, if we are to obtain certain victory for the Hand in our war with the League, and the old blind fighter man's Chaste friends as well, we have to concentrate on the bigger pictures, on them."

Takeo glowered at Saracon, but he knew that the League man was right, and luckily, Nobu wasn't at all awhere whatsoever of the much bigger objective being played out amongst everything else that was going on, the objective that Takeo and Saracon together, between just the two of them, had very maticulously planned out to the last detail, and would continue to play until everything was in place, and then completed. So with that, he nodded and relaxed, calming himself down before looking towards Nobu again.

"Please accept my apologies for my outburst, Master Nobu," he said, bowing his head.

Nobu nodded. "It was understandable, Golden Dragon," he said, using Takeo's codename, "And I accept your apology." At that, Takeo relaxed still further.

"There is however a way to help us all," Nobu went on. Saracon, Takeo and the twins all turned to him, the other two men waiting the most intently. "You, we, need your father," Nobu said, looking to Saracon, who nodded. "And you want revenge on Mr Queen." Nobu spoke these next words to Takeo who nodded also. "So let me ask..." Nobu looked between the two men, looking deep into their eyes before continuing, "How do we bring everyone, them and us, altogether in one single place? In the Western term, how do we gather all the eggs and put them together in one basket?"

Saracon and Takeo's eyes lit up as they worked it out. "Bait," Saracon said, a sly grinning forming on his face once again.

Nobu nodded. "Exactly, Shabah Al-Shaytan," he agreed, "Live bait." His own smirk now started returning also, "And I bet you and comrade Takeo can guess very well as to just who that could be, someone who Mr Queen and his friends and your father care very much about."

Saracon and Takeo both nodded, their faces gleaming more than ever. "I think we can," Takeo said.

"If you would allow the permission of me and my sister to speak, Master Nobu...?" Reiko spoke up for the first time.

The three men turned to her and Yuki. "You may go ahead," Nobu said.

This time however, it was Yuki who spoke. "Who is going to be the one responsible of carrying out this task me and my fellow twin have also fully worked out that is needed to be done?" she asked.

"My niece asks a very appropriate question indeed," Takeo added.

Nobu nodded, and then looked beyond them. "You may come forward now, Master Yashida," he called out.

As the others looked in the same direction, a figure, another Japanese man, the right side of his own face also scarred by an old past injury, emerged slowly at a walk from the shadows behind them, dressed in traditional Japanese Samurai armour, without the _kabuto_, or helmet, two Samurai swords held, handles first and blades behind, in sheaths on his belt, one on each side.

Takeo's eyes widened. "Shingen," he whispered in surprise.

Shingen Yashida, the son of the deceased Ichirō Yashida, turned to him and gave a single nod. "Greetings, Golden Dragon," he acknowledged simply and bluntly. He looked back to Nobu and bowed his head. "Master Nobu," he addressed the other man.

"You heard what me, Shabah Al-Shaytan, Comrade Takeo and his nieces discussed, I assume, Master Yashida?" Nobu asked.

"That I did," Shingen replied, "And I have found the perfect place with which we can take her, somewhere as safely far away as possible so as to not give our foes any possible leads as to the true whereabouts of our Starling City base, that being of course here."

"Excellent work," Nobu said, pleased at the other man's spoken facts, "Then you will carry out the task called upon to be done. Me and my comrades and fellow Hand warriors will await your return, which will also give the much needed replacements for our fallen brothers the time necessary to make their way here. Then you will lead us to the place you have sought."

Shingen smiled and bowed again. "That would be my pleasure, Master Nobu," he said.

* * *

The team descended the steps and into the lair, Oliver and Elektra still at the head.

"What's happened?" a concerned Laurel, who indeed was still there along with an equally as concerned Felicity, asked as they came in, "Did you find- SARA!" Laurel gasped at seeing her sister being supported by Nyssa, and what her face was like, and immediately ran over.

"I'm fine, Laurel," Sara assured her older sister as Nyssa helped her to sit on one of the desktops, Sara hissing from the pain of her bruises and her still bloodied nose and the area of her face where Nobu had kicked her as she did so.

"Here." Have also seen Sara's condition, Felicity had run to fill a small tub with water and now returned with it and a cloth. She set the tub down, soaked the cloth in water and then proceeded to clear the dried up blood from Sara's nose.

"How does it look?" Oliver asked as she worked.

Felicity nodded. "Not broken, thank heavens," she confirmed, to the relief of everyone except, of course, Stick.

Sara nodded. "Thank you, Felicity," she said gratefully, appreciating the other woman's kind gesture. Felicity nodded back in return and dropped the now blood stained cloth in the tub of water, then turned round.

"What the hell happened?" she demanded, shooting the question towards Oliver, but it was Stick who answered.

"A little trouble with my people the Chaste's oldest enemy, and also one of Nyssy's League bruv and sissies, and have been just as troublesome to them for hundreds of years as they have been to us- the Hand. That's what, Smoaky," he snapped, "They were waiting for us at Malcy's boy little cubbie hole."

"And my half-brother is working with them too," Nyssa added with equal harshness.

At that, Felicity stopped dabbing Sara's nose and turned fully around to face Nyssa. Laurel also did so. "You have a half-brother?!" Felicity blurted out in exasperation.

Nyssa nodded. "Maternal to me, and paternal to Thea and Thomas Merlyn. And also Merlyn's first son," she explained.

"_What_?!" two voices, that of course of Laurel and Felicity, both stunned into total and utter shock at what they had just heard.

"_First_ son?" Laurel said.

"From before he became Malcolm Merlyn," Elektra took over for Nyssa, "When he used to be known as Arthur King. And before he even met Rebecca, the mother, of course, of your dearly deceased friend Tommy Merlyn." She glanced briefly between Oliver and Laurel with a look of sympathy, knowing of course who Tommy was and what he had meant very much to the two of them each.

"To me and Nyssa, and the rest of the League, he is known as Shabah Al-Shaytan, the Ghost Demon," Sara now spoke, "But his real name-"

"Is Saracon," Oliver finished, "He also, somehow, performed some sort of spell which summoned a flock of bats, and gave him and his friends the chance to make their escape before we could take them down."

"OK. We are seriously stepping way down the path of crazy town now," Felicity exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief, "Are you saying he can perform _magic_?"

Oliver nodded. "It seems very that way," he answered.

"And what of Merlyn?" Laurel asked, "What happened to him?"

Together, Oliver, Elektra, Nyssa, Sara and Stick told of all the rest of what had taken place at the monastery, including about Nobu Yoshioka and Takeo Yamashiro, and when they had finished Felicity leaned back against the desktop, hand to her forehead, and closed her eyes, breathing out a long deep breath.

"Jesus, this gives me a splittin' headache," Felicity said eventually, "A second crazy group of ninja killers, a guy who is Merlyn's actual first son and not Tommy, another guy who bears a grudge against Oliver, and a third who totally whoops Sara's butt, some strange blonde woman dressed like Isabel Rochev but with different colours, magic spells and bats, Merlyn escaping again..." she ran a hand over her face, "Just what is this world coming to, eh?"

"As crazy a level as I would've believed it otherwise if I were still in the dark about Ollie being the vigilante and all the rest and the like, Felicity," Laurel said in support, earning a chuckle from her friend and Oliver and Sara in response.

"So, Oliver lad, as you're the leader of this city's group of night time guardians, what's our next move?" Stick asked Oliver.

Oliver was about to answer when they heard feet stumbling down the metal stairs, and then Roy, dressed in black jeans, a red hoodie and blue Nike trainers, suddenly appeared, wavering unsteadily on his feet.

"Roy?" Oliver ran over to the young man, concern rising in him at seeing the look of sheer desperation and panic on Roy's face. The five women, all of them now showing similar worried looks at Roy's unexpected entrance, and the impassive Stick all looked over as well. "Roy. Tell us, what's happened?" Oliver asked, laying his hands supportingly on the younger man's arms.

"It's... Oliver, it's Thea," Roy gasped.

"Thea?" Oliver breathed, now suddenly more concerned than ever. "Roy, what about her? What's wrong with her?"

"She... she..." Roy gulped, and then composed himself, bracing for what he was about to say. "She's been taken," he said.

* * *

_Roy's house, a few minutes ago_

Thea lay on top of Roy under the blanket which covered them, both of them having exhausted themselves out from their making up, Roy's arms wrapped around her holding her to him.

"Oh have I missed this so much," Thea whispered, she and him chuckling at the remark.

"Me too," Roy answered back as Thea gave him a few gentle kisses on the shoulders and neck.

"So, thought of a name yet?" Roy asked.

"Hmm?" Thea said.

Roy looked at her, brushing a stray strand of her long brown hair away from her face. "I know we've still a little way to go yet until we learn of the gender, but we will have to start thinking of names pretty soon," he said.

Thea nodded. "Well if it's a girl, I've already thought of one," she said.

"Oh yeah?" Roy acknowledged with interest.

"Lian. Middle name mom's, and surname yours," Thea explained proudly.

Roy smiled. "Lian Moira Harper," he said, considering. Thea waited, slightly anxious as to what he might reply with. Then Roy nodded, "I love it." At that, a huge smile now came on Thea's face and she lowered her face towards his, their lips meeting.

Suddenly, there was the sound of the house's single main window breaking, and a moment later something was thrown into the room, hitting the floor beside the sofa where Roy and Thea lay together. As the two of them looked to where it had landed, they saw that it was a small canister of some sort, a canister which was emitting a small cloud of red smoke, a cloud of smoke which immediately began to thicken.

At once, Thea and Roy came apart, Thea sitting up and wrapping the blanket around her fully naked body, protecting her baby bump, while Roy, who thankfully still had his trousers on, leapt to his feet and snatched up his tshirt which lay close by, bringing it up protectingly over his mouth. But almost at once, and to their horror, both of them found themselves losing conciousness, as the whole room was now almost totally filled with the red smoke.

"Roy," Thea shouted as he tried to reach her, but then fell almost in slow motion to the floor, landing on his side, facing in her direction. As Thea felt herself slipping further and further into unconciousness, the blanket falling off her as the unknown effects of the red smoke make her slump onto her back, she just had time to see a figure, a man, dressed in what looked like Japanese Samurai armour, a bandana pulled up his mouth and nose, walk slowly into the room and stop in front of her, looking down at her and watching as her remaining vision finally faded fully into blackness.

Helpless, on the edge of unconciousness himself, Roy could do nothing but watch as the unknown man reached down and picked Thea up in both arms, and then, giving Roy a brief glance as he did so, depart slowly and casually back the way he had come, through the front door of the house, carrying Thea in his arms, as Roy at last rolled, knocked out, onto his back, the red smoke swirling around him.

* * *

Oliver backed away a couple of steps, stunned into complete shock by what Roy had just explained. Felicity squealed and clamped her hands over her mouth. Laurel, Thea, Elektra and Nyssa looked between each other with just as much the same shock as Oliver.

"I came back round again a minute or so ago," Roy finished, "But I didn't want to pursue the guy without one of you lot there to help me do so, so I decided to come here instead."

Oliver came forward again and layed his hands on the younger man's shoulders. "You did the right thing, Roy," he assured him gently, pulling him in for a hug, "And I promise you, we're gonna find her."

"All of us," Sara said as she swung herself off the desktop and came over, rubbing Roy's back supportingly with a hand. Elektra, Nyssa, Felicity and Laurel all nodded their agreement.

"You bet your sweet ass that's what we're gonna do, laddie," Stick remarked.

"No one kidnaps a pregnant young woman, especially if that pregnant young woman is the younger sister of Oliver Queen, and gets away with it without their head," Elektra growled.

"But where do we start looking?" Laurel asked. As if on cue, her tablet, laid next to one of the computers, began beeping. Felicity picked it up, glanced at the screen, and when she looked up her face was very pale.

"An unknown video caller," she said, turning it round so that they could all see.

Feeling very uneasy as to just what they could be about to see, Oliver, who had released Roy, said simply, "Play it." Felicity nodded, and reached round with her finger to swipe the screen rightwards, accepting the video call. Nyssa, Elektra and Stick moved round so that all of them were now standing together, everyone with a view of the tablet screen. Not that it mattered to Stick himself.

A video image, very likely live, appeared on the screen. Laurel gasped, Oliver, Roy, Sara, Felicity, Nyssa and Elektra staring in shock, as they saw Thea tied naked and unconcious to a metal pole, bound to it by a strip of some sort of material, plastic perhaps, in a large room, a factory or a warehouse perhaps judging from the little pieces of surroundings the camera being used to broadcast the image, its holder currently unknown, managed to show as well.

And then the camera turned to the right, revealing the one quarter burned face of Nobu Yoshioka. "Greetings, Mr Queen," he spoke, his voice sounding clear through the tablet's speakers, eyes looking straight into the camera and effectively into those of the small group of people watching it.

"Felicity..." Oliver whispered, not taking his eyes off the screen for a second.

"Am on it," Felicity whispered back, knowing what Oliver wanted her to do. She handed the tablet to Laurel and scooted over to the computers, her fingers dancing away at the keyboard keys like mad.

"As I'm sure you are seeing right now, we have your sister," Nobu continued, turning the camera briefly back towards Thea before focusing back on himself, "And I'm willing to bet that your assistant Miss Smoak is now running a trace on me and my comrades' location this very moment."

"He's good, and smart thinking too," Elektra hissed quietly.

"You have no idea, Ellie," Stick remarked, earning yet another angry look from Elektra.

"Which is good, because my fellow colleague Saracon is sending out a message to the Magician also," Nobu went on, "Which means that all of you, together, will soon be heading here. So I make this very simple: come to where me and my comrades and your sister await your arrival, the location you are seeing on your screen, _all_ of you. If you don't, then dear young Thea will be sent back to you in pieces, the unborn child she now bares inside of her included."

Cold black hatred welled up inside Oliver, along with Roy and the rest of their group, at Nobu's sickening words. "The clock ticks, Mr Queen. We shall be waiting for you," the Japanese man finished, and the screen went black.

"Did you get it?" Oliver asked.

"I did, thank heavens," Felicity confirmed.

Relief passed over everyone, and Oliver looked between Roy, Sara, Nyssa, Elektra and Stick. "Let's go," he growled, and all of them nodded, not a single one of them even thinking to disagree. Roy headed to his specific cabinet to change into his Arsenal suit and weapons.

Nyssa turned to Sara. "I think it's traditional League outfit for you, beloved, until we can come up with a new and more protective suit for when Mr Yoshioka comes at you again," she said.

Sara nodded, "No arguing with you there, Nyssa." She turned to Oliver. "We'll meet you there, Ollie," she said, Oliver nodding before, after first retrieving their separate weapons, Nyssa her bow, Sara her batons, the two women ascended back up the stairs.

"I'll send you the location," Felicity called after them.

A minute later, Roy came over, now back in his Arsenal suit and mask, recurve bow in hand. "Ready?" Oliver asked him, his own mask back on, hood up, bow in hand, and some fresh arrows in his quiver.

Roy nodded. "Let's bring her back," he said, which was all Oliver needed as a response.

"What about Dig?" Laurel asked, remembering about their friend and fellow vigilante, "Shouldn't we call him and let him know of the situation?"

Oliver shook his head. "Let him rest with Lyla and the little one tonight," he said, "Besides, this is the Hand, Nobu, Saracon and Takeo we're talking about. We need real experts on hand if we're gonna save Thea."

Laurel nodded, knowing what he meant.

"Elektra? Stick?" Oliver asked the last two members of the group, both of whom nodded.

"Let's go save your sister," Elektra said.

"Your orders, Oliver lad," Stick said, as simple and as bluntly as ever.

"Then let's go."

* * *

Unbeknownst to either Team Arrow, Sara and Nyssa, or Elektra and Stick, the same video they had watched on Laurel's tablet had also been shown on another computer, this one in a warehouse located in another part of the city a few miles away from theirs under Verdant. In front of it stood the mystery blonde haired woman who had appeared out of nowhere to help Oliver and his friends with the Hand, still dressed in her dark blue and orange Ravager, but with her mask now rested on the table in front of her, revealing the face of a very attractive young woman of twenty years, or just over twenty years, of age.

And she wasn't alone. Tatsu Yamashiro and the Japanese-American boy, Kyle Tamuro, were with her, dressed in their similar outfits, Tatsu with the addition of her white mask with the red forehead dot. Two other people also stood with them, both of them also Japanese: a man with black shoulder length hair, dressed in a black leather jacket, trousers and gloves, his boots also black, a large black carbon fiber longbow in his left hand, and a quiver full of black feathered arrows held on his back; and a woman, also with long black hair, but dressed differently, she in scarlet red coloured Samurai armour crafted to a woman's figure fit, her belt sporting several wicked looking knives.

The man and woman were Tatsu's best friend since childhood Mariko Yashida, the daughter and granndaughter of Shingen and Ichirō Yashida, and her boyfriend, formerly ex and now proper again, Kenuichio Harada, master long distance archer and leader of the ninja warriors known as the Black Clan, who had served Mariko's family for seven hundred years.

The young blonde Ravager woman shook her head. "That bastard Nobu and his buddies don't know just what they have stirred," she growled in an Australian accent.

"And you're certainly not the only one," Kyle muttered.

"Indeed so, Kyle," Tatsu added.

The blonde woman turned fully round, looking to each of her four companions, two on either side. "My father, while under the influcence of the Mirakuru super-drug, vowed to destroy Oliver Queen, along with everything and everyone that he loves," she said in a hard tone, "And my brother has since followed in his footsteps. But I promised to myself that I would watch over Oliver, to make sure that no one threatened or harmed his friends and family members ever again. And that includes his sister. And now," she glanced back at the computer screen, "I am very angry indeed."

"Then what are we standing around here for then, Miss Wilson?" Harada said.

The blonde Ravager woman nodded, one hand reaching behind and retrieving her mask. She put it on, then drew her ninja swords from their sheaths on her belt, twirling them in her hands. "Let's go," she said.

Tatsu, Kyle, Mariko and Harada all nodded and they returned to where the two dozen or so other members of the Black Clan, all clad from head to foot in black, faces hidden behind masks with only their eyes showing, armed with bows and arrows, awaited them. As the five individuals made their appearance, Harada and Mariko leading, the Black Clan ninjas bowed a little way.

"_Let's move out_," Harada ordered loudly in Japanese, and together they set off on their mission.

* * *

Across the city, in his apartment Malcolm Merlyn, now dressed in a normal formal suit and tie, heard a tapping on glass behind him, and turning to see what the source of the noise was he saw a large black raven perched on the ledge of the great windows which gave the inhabitant an excellent view out over the city. The bird was tapping the window glass with its beak, in which it held what looked a small rolled up piece of paper.

Seeing this, Malcolm walked briskly over and opened the central window, allowing the raven to hop in and drop the note held in its beak into the apartment, before it turned round and spread its wings, taking off and disappearing into the night.

Malcolm watched it go, then unrolled the piece of paper, or parchment as it actually turned out to be. Seeing the two short sentences written on it, he froze.

"_See the smoke, father_?" the first one read. Looking up and out the window, Malcolm could now see, unmistakenly, a column of purple coloured smoke rising above the city skyscrapers, coming from somewhere beyond them.

"_Come and get her_," the second and only other sentence on the parchment said. A single letter 'S' was inscribed beneath it as a finishing note.

Malcolm didn't need anyone to tell him just what the smoke meant, or the note itself meant. He knew jolly well just what it all meant together.

"With pleasure, son," he growled, looking out towards the smoke column one last time. Then, dropping the parchment to the floor, he turned and slowly exited the apartment.

* * *

**And there we are. Hope you enjoyed and feel free to review as usual.**

**Well, things really have gotten bad to worse for our heroes. Will Thea be successfully rescued from the clutches of the Hand in time? We will find out next time.**

**Yes. If any of you hadn't already figured it out already, thanks to the clues I kept dropping in as to who he might be, Shabah Al-Shaytan is Saracon, Malcolm's son from when he was Arthur King. Again, I have writing partner and buddy Aragorn II Elessar and his story The Devil of Star City, and his use of Saracon in that, to thank for giving me the inspiration to use him here in my own project. Saracon's animal communicating powers I borrowed from reading, very fortunately, the Wikia page on him, his history also, but I also used a certain chapter in both The Devil of Star City and Bl4ckHunter's story The Dragon's Revenge to help me with that also, so thank you, guys.**

**I apologize if I didn't do very much with Nyssa and Elektra fighting the twins Reiko and Yuki Yamashiro, but I have been wanting desperately to get this chapter up at last after so long, so I felt I couldn't perfect every single fight scene. Hopefully I've at least done decent on the ones between Oliver and Takeo, Saracon and Malcolm, and Sara and Nobu.**

**Our new mystery Ravager lady friend's full name won't be revealed until next chapter, but considering that I put in some big clues as to just who she could be, I'm pretty sure you guys can pretty well take a guess as to the rest of it. Again, I freely allow you to do that, but do ask respectfully not to reveal it in reviews.**

**The red knockout smoke stunt I used with Thea and Roy I took from one of my favourite shows, and one in which both me and Stand with Ward and Queen have the very lucky privilege of liking together, The 100. And the man who pulled it off is, yes, Shingen Yashida, THE Shingen Yashida, from The Wolverine. An explanation as to why he's alive after being initially killed by Logan driving his claws through his throat will be provided next chapter.**

**And also from The Wolverine are our old friends Mariko Yashida and Harada, both of whom, to be very respectful of the movie, keep the faces of Tao Okamato and Will Yun Lee for, along with the Black Clan. And even better, Tatsu, who is NOT a death seeing mutant called Yukio in this, and Kyle Tamuro are back, yippee.**

**Now, to helpfully point out some big facts here, Aragorn Elessar pointed out very rightfully to me at the beginning of July, which was when I officially got The Wolverine watched for the first time, that I could not have Tatsu, or Yukio as she is in the film, as Mariko's adoptive sister in this. So for a little bit of a different background from me regarding the two of them, and which will be provided more of properly by Tatsu in the chapters to come, she and Mariko are childhood friends, and that after what happened in Hong Kong in the Arrow season 3 flashbacks, she made her way over to the Yashida household where the two of them were reunited, with Tatsu actually joining the Crescent Order after the final battle instead of departing on the plane with Logan. And in regards to Harada, who we know of course is killed in the movie by Ichir****ō**** Yashida using the Silver Samurai outfit, let's just say that at the last minute Logan prevented that from happening, so Harada is Mariko's proper boyfriend again in this, and leading the Black Clan alongside him. Her outfit is the Scarlet Samurai outfit from the comics.**

**Anyway, enough has been said by me. So to finish off, the good news is I have a full week's holiday from work to look forward to next week, starting from once I finish my work shift on Saturday, so hopefully I shall begin work on the next chapter then, and this time with NO month plus of abscence between the updates for this one and that. But then, there are a few stories I wanna get catching up on with very badly during that time as well, especially a few chapters of Aragorn Elessar's Avengers watch-it fic A Beautiful Journey, as well as re-watching a few of the MCU movies from a few years ago to help me with that. Plus, I owe Bl4ckHunter some catching up as well.**

**So until then, adios amigos from Flashraven**


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